Efua Sutherland's Play: The Marriage of Anansewa
20 Questions
35 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What was Efua Theodora Sutherland's primary interest?

  • Promoting African culture and protecting children's rights (correct)
  • Advocating for gender equality
  • Writing satirical comedies
  • Exploring postcolonial literature
  • When was The Marriage of Anansewa published?

  • 1965
  • 1995
  • 1975 (correct)
  • 1985
  • What is the main aim of The Marriage of Anansewa?

  • Depicting romantic love stories
  • Satirizing political corruption
  • Promoting traditional European values
  • Drawing attention to modern vices in postcolonial Ghanaian and African societies (correct)
  • What genre is The Marriage of Anansewa?

    <p>Comedy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Sutherland assert Ghanaian traditional values in The Marriage of Anansewa?

    <p>By holding to scorn all invading modern vices like greed and the use of money to determine love</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are some African theatre principles evident in The Marriage of Anansewa?

    <p>Audience participation, use of songs, and depiction of African traditional values, characters, and incidents</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which society does The Marriage of Anansewa depict modern vices?

    <p>Postcolonial Ghanaian and African societies</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the comic mode in The Marriage of Anansewa?

    <p>It is riddled with laughter and humorous circumstances, as well as how the conflicts are safely resolved at the end of the play</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does The Marriage of Anansewa attempt to hold to scorn?

    <p>Invading modern vices like greed and the use of money to determine love</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do Sutherland's other plays include apart from The Marriage of Anansewa?

    <p>Edufa and Foriwa</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary motivation behind Ananse's scheme in The Marriage of Anansewa?

    <p>To improve his financial circumstances</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What method does Ananse use to advertise his daughter as a bride in The Marriage of Anansewa?

    <p>Through letters typed by Anansewa herself</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Ananse manage to improve his financial circumstances in The Marriage of Anansewa?

    <p>By receiving gifts of cash from wealthy suitors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What effect does Ananse's scheme have on Anansewa's life in The Marriage of Anansewa?

    <p>She is able to attend school</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the initial state of Ananse's household at the beginning of The Marriage of Anansewa?

    <p>In a state of disrepair and poverty</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does Ananse devise a scheme to make Anansewa play dead?

    <p>To stall or thwart the proposed marriage visit by the suitors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Ananse's reason for lying to his mother and aunt about his cocoa farm in the village being set ablaze?

    <p>To get them out of the house so that their presence would not interfere with his plan</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does Ananse pretend to make traditional chants and incantations to wake Anansewa up?

    <p>To showcase his traditional knowledge and power</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why had Anansewa extracted her father’s promise to let her marry Chief-Who-Is-Chief?

    <p>As a condition for agreeing to partake in Ananse's pretend-death scheme</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main outcome of Ananse's plan to make people believe that Anansewa had died?

    <p>Ananse successfully deceives the messengers from the four chiefs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Efua Theodora Sutherland's Work

    • Efua Theodora Sutherland's primary interest was in exploring Ghanaian traditional values and cultural identity through her plays.

    The Marriage of Anansewa

    • The play was published in 1975.
    • The main aim of The Marriage of Anansewa is to satirize modern vices and social ills in Ghanaian society.
    • The play belongs to the genre of satirical comedy.
    • Sutherland asserts Ghanaian traditional values in The Marriage of Anansewa by incorporating African theatre principles, such as the use of folk tales, music, and dance.
    • The play depicts modern vices in Ghanaian society, particularly the obsession with wealth and materialism.
    • The comic mode in The Marriage of Anansewa is significant as it allows Sutherland to critique societal ills in a satirical and humorous manner.
    • The play attempts to hold to scorn the excesses of modernity and the erosion of traditional values.

    The Plot of The Marriage of Anansewa

    • Ananse's primary motivation behind his scheme is to improve his financial circumstances.
    • Ananse uses a public crier to advertise his daughter, Anansewa, as a bride to attract wealthy suitors.
    • Ananse manages to improve his financial circumstances by pretending that his daughter has died and receiving funeral donations from sympathizers.
    • Ananse's scheme has a devastating effect on Anansewa's life, as she is forced to play dead and pretend to be a ghost.
    • The initial state of Ananse's household at the beginning of the play is one of poverty.
    • Ananse devises a scheme to make Anansewa play dead in order to attract wealthy suitors and improve his financial circumstances.
    • Ananse lies to his mother and aunt about his cocoa farm in the village being set ablaze in order to gain sympathy and attention.
    • Ananse pretends to make traditional chants and incantations to wake Anansewa up in order to deceive the villagers.
    • Anansewa had extracted her father's promise to let her marry Chief-Who-Is-Chief, a man of her choice.
    • The main outcome of Ananse's plan is that it backfires, and he is left with a reputation as a liar and a trickster.

    Sutherland's Other Works

    • Sutherland's other plays include works that explore Ghanaian traditional values and cultural identity.

    Studying That Suits You

    Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

    Quiz Team

    Description

    Test your knowledge about Efua Sutherland, the Ghanaian playwright, and her play 'The Marriage of Anansewa'. Learn more about Sutherland's contribution to African culture and children's rights.

    More Like This

    Use Quizgecko on...
    Browser
    Browser