Info For Y'all Efua T Sutherland: Africa`S Woman Somebody Pioneer Dramatist, Cultural Visionary In Addition To Activist In Addition To Dark Africa`S Some Famous Adult Woman Writer

Dr Efua Theodora Sutherland (27 June 1924—2 Jan 1996) was a celebrated Ghanaian playwright, director, children's author, poet together with pioneer dramatist of international renown. She was also an teacher, scholar, an unapologetic Pan-African cultural visionary together with activist of ethnic Fante extraction. Before 1965 when the First President of the Republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the famous Pan-African leader called for the documentation of “our folktales” every bit a way of creating “African Classics” for posterity (Nketia’s Preface to Owusu-Sarpong (1998)), Efua T. Sutherland emerged every bit 1 of the literary figures who identified the worth of “our folktales” together with indeed modified 1 into a play almost 7 years earlier. She is the woman parent of  well-known prolific writer, cultural activist together with academician, Esi Sutherland-Addy who is a professor at the Institute of African Studies (University of Ghana) working inwards the Language Literature together with Drama Section.

Efua Theodora Sutherland,  celebrated Ghanaian playwright, director, children's author, poet , Pan African cultural activist together with pioneer dramatist of international renown.

As 1 of the Africa`s early on woman individual writers, Efua Sutherland is internationally known literary plant include Foriwa (1962), Edufa (1967), together with The Marriage of Anansewa (1975). She has also published juvenile literature inwards the shape of children’s beat plays such every bit Vulture, Vulture together with Tahinta, which she has tried to job inwards her private grade school. Efua T Sutherland educatee was the legendary African writer, Professor Ama Ata Aidoo. In fact, when Ama Ata Aidoo studied drama at the University of Republic of Ghana inwards the early on 1960s, her mentor was Sutherland.
Apart from Mabel Dove Danquah, born inwards 1910, who had started publishing essays , brusk stories, together with plays inwards the West African Times every bit early on every bit the 1950s to limited her concern over the identify together with role of women inwards contemporary Ghana, Sutherland tin live regarded every bit the woman parent of West African Literature inwards English. Donald Herdeck has called her “Black Africa’s most famous adult woman writer”. Even though her shout out has been dropped out past times feminist critics similar Florence Straton inwards her Contemporary African Literature together with the Politics of Gender together with Adola James’s In their Own Voices, for reasons that are non tardily to explain, she is far from existence an occasional writer. Her plant are published inwards both Longman together with Heineman Editions together with her brusk stories are anthologised both at dwelling house together with abroad. Her identify inwards West African feminist literature is neither a thing of seniority over other authors such every bit Flora Nwappa, Ama Ata Aidoo, together with Buchi Emecheta, nor that of amount of publications. She deserves a identify inwards the West African literary tradition because she has earned it through that literary procedure of revision which T.S. Eliot considers every bit existence necessary for the affirmation of private talents together with the existence of literary traditions. Charlotte H. Burner has rightly placed her inwards the 3rd position, after Mabel Dove Danquah together with Adelaide Casely-Hayford inwards her anthology of African adult woman writers entitled Unwinding Threads.
Sutherland's plays were often based on African myths together with legends, but she also used Western sources, such every bit Euripides together with Lewis Carroll.
"I'm on a journeying of discovery. I'm discovering my ain people.
 I didn't grow upward inwards rural Republic of Ghana - I grew upward inwards Cape Coast with
a Christian family. It's a fine family, but at that topographic point are surely hidden
areas of Ghanaian life - of import areas of Ghanaian life, that I
exactly wasn't inwards touching with; inwards the past times 4 or v years I've made
a rattling concentrated endeavor to brand that untrue. And I experience I know
my people now." (Efua Sutherland inwards Cultural Events inwards Africa, no. 42, 1968)
In her many years of existence at the forefront of literary together with theatrical movements inwards Republic of Ghana she founded the Republic of Ghana Drama Studio, the Republic of Ghana Society of Writers, the literary periodical Okyeame, the Republic of Ghana Experimental Theatre, together with a community projection called the Kodzidan (Story House) for the preservation of oral literature together with the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Center for Pan African Culture. She was an influential figure inwards the establishment of modern Ghanaian theatre, together with helped to flora the report of African performance traditions at academy level.
Apart from her undying devotion to edifice indigenous models of excellence inwards civilisation together with education, she served every bit mentor together with inspiration to many notable African personalities inwards the arts together with professions, including author Ama Ata Aidoo, cinema maker Kwaw Ansah together with writer-illustrator Meshak Asare.
Auntie Efua, every bit she was affectionately known, made children’s issues primal to her life together with work. After pioneering an indigenous motion inwards writing, publishing together with evolution through drama for children, she was appointed inwards the 1980’s to Pb Republic of Ghana to acquire the firstly the world to ratify the U.N. Convention on the Declaration of Rights of the Child.  Through the function of the Republic of Ghana National Commission on Children, of which she was a founding fellow member together with Chair, several initiatives for children were moved forrad including the Children’s Park Library Complex network,  Child Literacy together with Mobile Science Laboratory projects, every bit good every bit the commissioning of extensive enquiry on the Ghanaian child.
Her function received recognition from both the province together with major agencies such every bit the Valco Trust Fund, the Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, UNICEF together with UNESCO. Other important supporters included Arthur together with Ruth Sloan, the Arthur together with Dorothy Clift identify unit of measurement of Bromley, UK, Dr. Vivian O. Windley, Merle Worth, the Abyssinian Baptist Church inwards Harlem, USA together with the Children’s Television Network.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 twelve-acre infinite reserved for a children’s green inwards primal Accra through the advocacy of Efua Sutherland was renamed posthumously inwards her honor. Efua Sutherlandstraat is 1 of a number of streets inwards an surface area of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, named for remarkable women writers together with activists.
She was born Efua Theodora Morgue inwards Cape Coast on 27 June 1 924. She was named after her maternal great-grandmother Nana Ama Nyankomo. Her father, Harry Peter Morgue from the identify unit of measurement of Chief Moore of Nsona Paado, Cape Coast, was a well-known instructor of English linguistic communication who 1 time taught at Accra Academy. Her mother, Harriet Efua Maria Parker, was from the violet families of Gomua Brofo together with Anomabu, peculiarly the branch founded past times Barima Ansaful at Gyegyano, Cape Coast.
Despite her violet birth, Efua had a rattling humble together with hard early on life; her eventual greatness may live to a greater extent than of a personal achievement than an inherited identify unit of measurement fortune. Her immature woman parent died inwards a
lorry accident at historic catamenia 18, leaving 5-month onetime Efua inwards the tending of her grandmother Araba Mansa,
whose personal sacrifice together with representative of hard function every bit a bakery ensured Efua's survival together with provided the unmarried most of import impact on her afterwards evolution into a most resourceful personality.
Theodora Olivia Morgue, every bit Efua became known, began her primary didactics at the Government Girls School together with afterwards moved to St. Monica's, both inwards Cape Coast. She took the Standard Seven
exam patch she was soundless inwards Standard Six, together with did so good she won a scholarship to the St. Monica's Training College at Ansate Manpong. St Monica's was founded together with run past times Anglican Sisters of the Order of the Holy Paraclete, based inwards Yorkshire, England. The nuns inwards both Cape Coast together with Mampong had such important influence on the immature Efua that she seriously considered becoming a nun together with would have got gone to England for convent preparation had her grandmother non intervened.
At 18, she began teaching at senior primary bird but shortly joined the staff of St. Monica's Training College. In 1947, after five-and-half years of teaching, she went to England where she studied for a B.A. grade at Homerton College, Cambridge University. She spent some other yr at the School of Oriental together with African Studies, London, specialising inwards English linguistic communication linguistics, African languages, together with drama. Back inwards Republic of Ghana inwards 1950, she returned to St. Monica's but afterwards transferred to Fijar Secondary School together with and so to Achimota School.
In 1954, Efua married William Sutherland, an African American who had been living inwards Republic of Ghana together with worked from 1951 -57 to aid found what is similar a shot Tsito Secondary School inwards the Volta Region. Efua spent business office of the catamenia inwards Tsito to aid amongst the foundation work. Efua together with Bill had iii children, Esi Reiter, Ralph Gynan, together with Muriel Amowi, who have got since acquire a academy enquiry fellow, an architect, together with a lawyer respectively.

    Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy, immature lady of Dr Efua T Sutherland, the famous Ghanaian writer, dramatist together with cultural activist.

Through achievements inwards civilisation Republic of Ghana also gained attending together with prestige on the international scene. In the 1980s Sutherland served every bit advisor to the president of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, who led a cop inwards 1981, together with started economical reforms. Sutherland died on Jan 2, 1996.

It is against this identify unit of measurement together with educational background that we. must assess the unusual impact of Efua

Sutherland's populace life every bit educator, creative artist, together with activist social visionary. She is best known every bit a dramatist, but her function inwards this surface area was e'er informed past times a compelling vision of a ameliorate society, together with she chose appropriate cultural didactics every bit the best foundation on which such monastic enjoin could live established. Like many others, she could have got used her considerable talents together with skills inwards the advertisement of a spectacular private career. Instead, she chose to part her gifts amongst monastic enjoin at large past times investing her energies inwards the edifice of model programmes together with institutions, together with inwards the
preparation of a hereafter generation.

 Bill Sutherland hubby of the famous Ghanaian writer, dramatist together with cultural activist Efua T Sutherland. Bill Sutherland, was unofficial ambassador betwixt the peoples of Africa together with the Americas for over 50 years, died peacefully on the even of Jan 2, 2010. He was 91. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 life-long pacifist together with liberation advocate, Sutherland became involved inwards civil rights together with anti-war activities every bit a youthful fellow member of the Student Christian Movement inwards the 1930s.

Efua Sutherland's reputation every bit the founder together with woman parent figure behind the national theatre motion may best live measured past times the many key institutions together with programmes she was instrumental inwards bringing into being. She was the prime number mover inwards the founding of the Republic of Ghana Society of Writers (1957). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 yr later, the Republic of Ghana Experimental Theatre Company was launched nether her
direction. She helped to found the Okyeame literary periodical inwards 1961.
Through her pioneering enquiry into Ghanaian oral traditions, she introduced onto the stage the unique dramatic shape of Anansegoro, deriving its creative model from traditional story-telling drama. To render an ideal rehearsal together with performance infinite for the emerging national theatre movement, she mobilised funds together with supervised the edifice of the Republic of Ghana Drama Studio, ensuring that its pattern was inwards harmony amongst performance demands of African theatre practice. She founded Kusum Agoromba, 'a full-time drama society based at the Drama Studio together with dedicated to performing character plays inwards Akan.... inwards towns together with villages all over the country.' She provided creative leadership to the Workers' Brigade Drama Group together with to the Drama Studio Players.
In May 1963, Efua Sutherland became a Research Associate of the Institute of African Studies. As business office of the move, she handed over the Drama Studio to the University of Republic of Ghana to live issued every bit 'an extension partition of the School of Music, Dance together with Drama.' Through the Drama Studio Programme together with the Drama Research Unit of the Institute, Efua Sutherland worked amongst the belatedly Joe de Graft together with others to build the foundations of what was shortly to acquire a model programme inwards drama together with theatre studies together with practise inwards Africa One of her most often cited projects, the Atwia Experimental Community Theatre Project, is recognised world-wide every bit a pioneering model for the similar a shot pop Theatre for Development. Araba: The Village Story is a major documentary cinema done inwards 1 967 past times the American idiot box network ABC to tape the success of this unique
experimental project.

Edufa past times Efua T Sutherland

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 peculiarly important aspect of Efua Sutherland's function was the Children's Drama Development Project. This multi-year projection focused on enquiry into the cultural life of children inwards society, used the data gathered every bit a ground for writing, producing together with publishing appropriate plays for children. Conferences, workshops together with examine productions organised every bit business office of this projection have got left us amongst an of import collection of plays for children, amid them R.A. Cantey's Republic of Ghana Motion, Togbe Kwamuar's The Perpetual Stone Mill, Kwamena Ampah's Hwe No Yie, Koku Amuzu's The New Born Child together with the Maid Servant, JoeManu-Amponsah's Gates to Mother, Kofi Hiheta's Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Bench of Chances, together with Kofi Anyidoho;s Akpokplo{Ewe together with English). Regrettably, the preparation of these plays for formal publication inwards a major anthology is 1 of the many vital projects which Auntie Efua's decease has left unfinished.
The 25th Anniversary Programme of the Drama Studio, the in conclusion stage of Efua Sutherland's distinguished career inwards the national theatre movement, coincided amongst her retirement from the University of Republic of Ghana inwards 1984. The programme opened amongst an impressive together with symbolic Ceremony of Remembrance together with moved into a major documentation projection roofing diverse forms of drama that have got evolved every bit business office of the national theatre motion The 25th Anniversary Programme, ironically, suffered a serious set-back when the Drama Studio was demolished to brand way for the
construction of the National Theatre.
Although Auntie Efua was deeply wound past times the demolition of the studio, she continued to function over the side past times side 2 years to convey the documentation programme to a reasonable completion. It was also inwards the in conclusion stage of her function that she gave to Republic of Ghana together with the African world likely her grandest artistic vision for uplifting together with reuniting African peoples through the arts- an master proposal for the Pan African Historical Theatre Festival, the Panafest Movement. This in conclusion gift underscores the significance she attached to connections betwixt Africa together with the Diaspora. She played a rattling critical role inwards the establishment of the W.E.B. DuBois Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture.
She belonged to an extensive global network of friends, many of them eminent creative minds.
Efua Sutherland's long together with distinguished career had also left an impressive corpus of creative works, making her 1 of Africa's best known writers. In improver to a number of essays, articles, brusk stories together with poems, her published plant include a brusk biography of Bob Johnson, 'the manful individual parent of the concert political party tradition', every bit good every bit several other books—Playtime inwards Africa, The Roadmakers, Edufa, Foriwa, Odasani, Anansegoro: Story-Telling Drama inwards Ghana, The Marriage of Anansewa, You Swore an Oath, Vulture! Vulture! [and Tahinta]: Two Rhythm Plays, together with The
Voice inwards the Forest. Her unpublished plays for children include The Pineapple Child, Nyamekye, Tweedledum together with Tweedledee, Ananse together with the Dwarf Brigade, Wohye me Bo, together with Children of
the Man-Made Lake.
Her best known plays are Edufa (1967) (based on Alcestis past times Euripides), Foriwa (1967), together with The Marriage of Anansewa (1975).
In Edufa the eponymous grapheme seeks to escape decease past times manipulating his wife, Ampoma, to the decease that has been predicted for him past times oracles. In the play, Sutherland uses traditional Ghanaian beliefs inwards divination together with the interaction of traditional together with European ceremonies inwards monastic enjoin to portray Edufa every bit a rich together with successful modern individual who is held inwards high esteem past times his people. The play uses traditional ritual together with symbolism, but the story is told inwards the context of Edufa's capitalistic abandonment of his moral commitment to his wife, patch his married adult woman together with the other women favour the morality of the past.
In Foriwa the eponymous character, who is the immature lady of the queen woman parent of Kyerefaso, together with Labaran, a graduate from northern Republic of Ghana who lives a unproblematic life, convey enlightenment to Kyerefaso, a town that has acquire backward together with ignorant because the town's elders decline to larn novel ways. Foriwa's main theme is the alliance of onetime traditions together with novel ways. The play has a national theme to promote a novel national spirit inwards Republic of Ghana that would encourage openness to novel ideas together with inter-ethnic cooperation.
The Marriage of Anansewa: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Storytelling Drama (1975) is considered Sutherland's most valuable contribution to Ghanaian drama together with theater. In the play, she transmutes traditional Akan Ananse Spider tales (Anansesem) into a novel dramatic structure, which she calls Anansegoro. Nyamekye (a version of Alice inwards Wonderland), 1 of her afterwards plays, shows how she was influenced past times the folk opera tradition.
As a major literary voice, she was concerned almost the demand for making plant past times African writers available through local publishing. To this end, she played a key role every bit founder of Afram Publications Republic of Ghana Ltd inwards the early on Seventies together with until her decease maintained an active role inwards the
editorial function of Afram. It is to her credit together with to that of all who have got worked amongst her that iii of the winners of the 1995 Valco Fund Literary Awards are plant published past times Afram.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 concern for children is primal to all of Efua Sutherland's life together with work. Even after her retirement from the University of Ghana, she was to devote the in conclusion stage of her populace life to foundation function inwards the establishment of the Republic of Ghana National Commission on Children. She was a foundation fellow member (1979-1983) together with afterwards chairperson of the commission (1983- 1990). The function of this commission, especially through the impact of kid didactics programmes designed some a national network of children's parklibrary complexes, the documentation of the province of affairs of the Ghanaian child, together with the influencing of province policy on kid life, shall remain 1 of Efua Sutherland's most important lasting gifts to her nation.
Efua Sutherland served on several other national together with international boards together with committees, including the Education Commission, the Valco Fund Board of Trustees, together with the Republic of Ghana National Commission for UNESCO. Her function received recognition together with sponsorship from both the province together with such major agencies every bit the Valco Trust Fund, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, UNICEF, together with UNESCO.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the achievement of a total academy status, the University of Republic of Ghana selected Efua Sutherland every bit 1 of a little grouping of eminent individuals whose
contribution has had a profound impact on the evolution of the academy together with of the monastic enjoin at large:
"Efua Theodora Sutherland, for the inspiration provided to the development
of the Dramatic Art, together with inwards recognition of your efforts on behalf of children
for whose do goodness yous have got canvassed children's libraries together with amusement
parks, the University of Republic of Ghana is privileged to honour yous amongst thedegree of
Doctor of Laws, honoris causa."

Selected works:
*The Roadmakers, 1961 (photographs past times Willis E. Bell)
*Foriwa, 1962
*Playtime inwards Africa, 1962 (photograps past times Willis E. Bell)
*Edufa, 1967 (based on Euripides's Alcestis)
*Odasani, 1967 (based on Everyman)
*Vulture! Vulture! together with Tahinta: Two Rhythm Plays, 1968
*The Original Bob: The Story of Bob Johnson, Ghana's Ace Comedian, 1970
*Anase together with the Dwarf Brigade, 1971 (based on Lewis Carroll's Alice inwards the Wonderland)
*Anansegoro: Story-telling Drama inwards Ghana, 1975
*The Marriage of Anansewa, 1975
*Efua Sutherland of Ghana, 1978 (recording)
*The Voice inwards the Forest, 1983
*The Marriage of Anansewa together with Edufa, 1987

source:http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/glendora%20review/vol1no3/graa001003003.pdf

Sutherland’s Creativity at Work: The New Family of Mr. Ananse the Spider in The Marriage of Anansewa
                                  P.B. Mireku-Gyimah
Centre for Communication together with Entrepreneurship Skills (CENCES), University of
Mines together with Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, Ghana

Abstract: This report explores characterization inwards Efua T. Sutherland’s The Marriage of Anansewa together with demonstrates the playwright’s imagination together with inventiveness at work. Unlike the traditional members of Ananse’s identify unit of measurement inwards Akan folktales comprising a married adult woman (Asɔ), 4 sons (Ntekuma, Afurudohwedohwe, Tikenenkene together with Nyankorɔnhweaa) together with sometimes unnamed in-laws, Sutherland creates a immature lady (Anansewa), a woman parent (Aya), an aunt (Ekuwa) together with a lover (Christie) for Ananse. Thus at that topographic point are similar a shot 4 novel females inwards Ananse’s novel identify unit of measurement to remainder the 4 males inwards the master Ananse family, counting out human being together with wife. Unfortunately, Sutherland kills off Asɔ. Anansewa together with Christie are main characters but Aya together with Ekuwa are made little characters. Besides this introduction of 4 women into Ananse’s extended identify unit of measurement is Sutherland’s creation of a novel identity for Ananse. He is a modernized Ghanaian amongst an English linguistic communication name, George. Sutherland artistically introduces a novel dimension to Ananse past times redefining his identity every bit a modern citizen of the globalized world. Whereas inwards the traditional folktales Ananse often cheats the members of his identify unit of measurement forcing them to regain ways together with agency to live on past times foiling Ananse’s tricky plans, Sutherland’s novel identify unit of measurement members play an exclusively different role: they are witting or unconscious collaborators of Ananse’s system to cheat others. It is concluded that, past times this novel dimension of characters together with the roles they play which convey freshness together with popularization to the Akan folktales, Sutherland has elevated the Akan folktales to acquire an African Classic.

INTRODUCTION
Before 1965 when the First President of the Republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah,
the famous Pan-African leader called for the documentation of “our folktales” every bit a way of creating
“African Classics” for posterity (Nketia’s Preface to Owusu-Sarpong (1998)), Efua T. Sutherland emerged every bit 1 of the literary figures who identified the worth of “our folktales” together with indeed modified 1 into a play almost 7 years earlier. She came upward amongst her play entitled The Marriage of Anansewa (TMA), which was firstly published inwards 1958. This drama, which is based on
the Akan folktales, was published after productions inwards Akan together with inwards English linguistic communication past times iii different notable Ghanaian performing groups, namely the Workers’ Brigade Drama Group, Kusum Agoromba (Kusum Players) together with the Drama Studio Players together with Kusum Agoromba combined (Sutherland, 1997). Sutherland’s function has enjoyed patronage for decades. In her dedication of the 1986 edition of TMA, Sutherland (1997) observes that a Ceremony of Remembrance was held to grade the 25th Anniversary of the Republic of Ghana Drama Studio, her brainchild. She notes that the ceremony, which took the “‘form of a dramatic recall of the plant of deceased creative personalities who contributed to the evolution of Ghana’s heritage of dramatic arts’”, was also used to recall “‘such creative thinkers of the past times who left a heritage of perceptions almost monastic enjoin inwards scholarly together with other plant from which inspiration tin live drawn for artistic creation today’”.
Today, inwards the yr 2013, Sutherland herself tin live counted every bit 1 of the “deceased” luminaries of the past times which she referred to inwards the 1986 dedication. Sutherland’s book, TMA, has continued to taste success amid both immature together with onetime inwards both academic together with non-academic circles together with this has been the termination of a number of things, including the playwright’s powerfulness to grip the story-telling tradition of the Akan inwards some interesting ways. For example, inwards the play, she remains truthful to the conventions of the folktale tradition, touching on its themes of love together with communality amid others, projecting the Akan traditional union together with raising topical issues such every bit the hypocrisy of some
Christians together with their church, non forgetting her profuse job of mboguo (song interludes).
Apart from all these, Sutherland vividly evokes the main character: arch-hero, trickster par excellence together with possessor of the Akan folktales, Ananse the Spider, personified every bit Kweku Ananse. She also shows literary prowess inwards her characterization, that is, her “creation of imaginary persons so that they be for the reader every bit life-like” (Holman together with Harman, 1986; qtd inwards Teiko, 2011). In fact, Sutherland portrays bully artistic talent inwards the creation of novel characters for the Akan folktales,
especially her extension of the traditional Ananse family. These novel characters are mostly complex together with believable together with aid explicate the play’s major themes of deception, gullibility, love together with marriage.
This newspaper leans on TMA to demonstrate Efua T. Sutherland’s inventiveness at function inwards 4 major ways every bit far every bit the traditional Ananse identify unit of measurement is concerned, particularly, past times the introduction of 4 females into the male-dominated family; first, past times her creation of a immature lady into the identify unit of measurement which hitherto has had all-male children; second, past times her creation of a lover for Ananse; third, past times her creation of a woman parent for Ananse; and, finally, past times her creation of an aunt for Ananse. In addition, the newspaper studies Sutherland’s creation of a novel identity for Ananse himself every bit a modern Ghanaian
human being together with an anglicized 1 for that thing (with the firstly shout out George). It is instructive to greenback that all these characters are novel together with different from the traditional members of Mr Ananse the Spider’s identify unit of measurement inwards the Akan folktales.
Traditionally, Ananse’s nuclear identify unit of measurement members are five; they comprise Ananse’s wife, Asɔ together with 4 sons. Of the 4 sons, only one, Ntekuma, is normal whereas iii are physically challenged. Afurudohwedohwe, Tikenenkene together with Nyankorɔnhweaa have got aptronyms describing their physical deformities: Afurudohwedohwe literally agency Very Very Big Stomach, Tikenenkene agency Very Very Big Head together with Nyankorɔnhweaa, agency Very Very Tiny Legs. Asɔ, the married adult woman together with mother, is non business office of the novel identify unit of measurement inwards TMA, for, unfortunately, Sutherland kills her off.

“THE MARRIAGE OF ANANSEWA”: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 BRIEF SUMMARY
Sutherland’s work, TMA, is an African play together with sourced from an Akan folktale whose story has the poor, struggling father, Kweku Ananse, devising a computer program to escape the hardships of life, especially the economical dire straits inwards which he finds himself together with his inability to easily pay his immature lady Anansewa’s schoolhouse fees, amid other needs.
Ananse advertises the photograph of his immature lady to 4 prominent chiefs of the the world together with succeeds inwards conniving amongst his immature lady to manipulate them to compete unknowingly every bit suitors seeking the manus of his immature lady inwards marriage. Ananse profits from the gifts which each principal pours on him for the sake of the immature lady so every bit to win her consent. She, of course, would consent to hook upward amongst only one-the 1 who, according to the father’s hugger-mugger plan, would plough out to live most caring. Meanwhile, each 1 of the chiefs thinks he is the only lover or suitor (for so does Ananse brand it to appear to them). Therefore, each principal goes on to remove a appointment for the customary marriage, which Sutherland calls the “head-drink ceremony”.
Unfortunately, all the 4 men remove the same appointment for this union ceremony. The clash of the dates presents a serious job which Ananse must solve fast before the job brings him trouble. Ananse gets the immature lady to pretend to live dead on that special day, knowing that “nobody marries a corpse”. More importantly, he would live enabled to job the sad together with unfortunate lawsuit to consider the reactions of the suitors, guess together with select the 1 who demonstrates truthful compassion, sympathy together with love at such a time. The message of Anansewa’s untimely decease is conveyed to each suitor. In this highly emotionally charged atmosphere, Ananse so desperately together with seriously mourns his sad loss that he would non live consoled inwards whatever way, especially when the chiefs’ messengers commence to brand it to console him on his bereavement.
The messengers of the Chief of the Mines brand it first, together with so those of the Chief of Sapaase, followed past times those of the Chief of Akate and, finally, those of Chief-Who-Is-Chief, the preferred suitor. The “wealthy paramount Chief of the Mines”… has this to say:
"That because this lady had non yet acquire his wife,
he cannot give her burial; but that which custom does
permit, he is non reluctant to fulfil. He sends “this bolt
of silk, this kente textile from Bonwire… this dumas
cotton fiber cloth, this potable together with this pocketbook of money to help
her manful individual parent pay for the funeral inwards good daytime to his lady” (p.
78).
Similarly, what the Chief of Sapaase has to say is that: He has no correct to give burial to this kid because the head-drink did non come upward inwards fourth dimension to brand it a conclusive union [but] … he is non reluctant at all to perform whatever custom he has the correct to perform …
(p. 81).
He sends “his silk, his velvet, his white kente cloth, his striped textile … together with his cash donation of 20 guineas also; pass it on drinks for the funeral …” (p. 81).
Even though Chief of the Mines together with Chief of Sapaase offering some gifts to Ananse towards the funeral, they each brand it also clear-as nosotros have got observed-and rightly so that, customarily, since the union was non genuinely contracted before the “death” of Anansewa, it almost becomes a instance of “no-sale-no-payment”, for which ground they are non saltation to perform the funeral rites for the lady every bit they would do for a wife.
Indeed, every bit for the Chief of Akate, he presents no gift whatsoever. What is worse, this chief’s emissary, his “direct brother”, who has come upward to limited condolences to “Togbe Ananse” makes it known that this 1 principal “was non fifty-fifty inwards favour of” their coming to sympathise amongst the bereaved family. “But nosotros said, ‘No’. Even if nosotros came to do nothing, nosotros would demo our faces here” (p. 83), the principal emissary explains.
But dissimilar the iii Chief-Who-Is-Chief, through his messengers, says that: He accepts total responsibleness for everything concerning the adult woman who had but 1 to a greater extent than stair to remove to acquire inwards his home. Therefore, from his hands… hither are all requirements for her funeral… (p. 78).
Symbolically, he marries her together with also provides a coffin-a drinking glass coffin-in improver to other assorted gifts every bit would live needed, customarily, for a grand funeral befitting the belatedly married adult woman of a prominent chief:
"… Here is the band a hubby places on a wife’s
finger. Here is a pocketbook of money, pass it on the funeral.
Here are cloths which whatever adult woman who is confidently
feminine would select amongst a careful eye; ... dumas,
white kente, silk kente, velvet, brocade. The drinks …
are inwards such quantities that nosotros couldn’t convey them here
… this bottle of Schnapps … is what is mandatory for
me to identify inwards your hands… this must live the potable with
which the good daytime libation is poured when his beloved
1 is existence placed inwards the coffin … (p. 87).
“Finally”, the messenger points out that, it is the want of Chief-Who-Is-Chief “to do for Anansewa
what a hubby does for a wife. And so he sends his coffin, 1 made of glass. Place his married adult woman inwards it for him …” (p. 87).
Thus Chief-Who-Is-Chief comes finally to exhibit genuine love for Anansewa fifty-fifty though she is dead together with he is nether no obligation to move to that extent. This gesture touches Ananse so much that, overwhelmed past times this chief’s unique affection, concern, generosity together with thoughtfulness, Ananse summons all his wits together with acts inwards a way every bit to brand this lovely principal win the “contest”.
As it happens, Anansewa resurrects for the preferred suitor, past times the powers evoked through Ananse’s libation prayer-ironically, using the bottle of Schnapps presented past times Chief-Who-Is-Chief.
Ananse together with his daughter, Anansewa, are greatly assisted inwards all this drama past times Ananse’s lover, a
“fashionable”, modern, career adult woman called Christie.
Before all this, however, Ananse hurriedly arranges amongst the Institute for Prospective Brides headed past times Christie to acquire Anansewa trained together with groomed for union every bit a modern, educated woman. He also arranges amongst Anansewa’s grandparents, Aya together with Ekuwa, to acquire her properly prepared for marriage, especially union to a chief, according to custom, past times ensuring that Anansewa is taken through the puberty rites which Sutherland refers to every bit the “outdooring ceremony”.

THE NEW WOMEN RELATED TO ANANSE
In TMA, nosotros regain 4 novel women related to Ananse (Anansewa, Christie, Aya together with Ekuwa) instead
of the only woman, Asɔ, also called ɔkonorɔ Yaa or Okondor Yaa (Opoku-Agyemang, 1999), who has long been known inwards the Akan folktale tradition every bit Ananse’s wife. Anansewa is the daughter, Christie is a lover who desires to live Ananse’s married adult woman and, past times the terminate of the play, at that topographic point is every promise that she volition acquire Ananse’s wife.
Aya is Ananse’s biological woman parent together with Ekuwa is Ananse’s aunt (Aya’s sister); they are 2 other women who are also novel entrants inwards the extended identify unit of measurement of Ananse. All these woman individual characters are dynamic, active, “life-like” together with aid advance the plot every bit good every bit the themes of deception, gullibility, love together with union inwards the play. Whereas Anansewa together with Christie are main characters, Aya together with her sister, Ekuwa, may live classified every bit little characters.
Anansewa: Anansewa is introduced rattling early on inwards the play. She is the immature lady of Ananse- “Pa Ananse” -and, similar the father, she dominates the story. In fact, Sutherland presents Anansewa to the audience every bit a lovely immature lady, the only immature lady together with the only kid of Ananse. This is dissimilar inwards the Akan folktale tradition where Ananse has no immature lady whatsoever. There, the children are only boys (four inwards all) and, every bit previously noted only 1 of them, Ntekuma, is normal. Ntekuma
is known to live a foil to the manful individual parent inwards most of the tales inwards which Ananse’s tricks backfire.
For example, inwards 1 Akan folktale, the story is told that 1 time Ananse plans to possess together with command all the wisdom of the world together with proceeds to sweep every chip together into a pot. He together with so tries to send the collection of wisdom inwards the pot to enshroud on top of the tallest tree for himself alone. However, no thing how hard he tries, he is unable to climb the tree because he hangs the pot in
front end of him instead of behind him. It is his fiddling boy Ntekuma standing below together with observing the
proceedings, who suggests to the frustrated manful individual parent to send the pot at his back. Ananse tries together with it works! He manages to climb smoothly to the tree top.
Nevertheless, on realising that Ntekuma the tiny boy could give such a wise advice to him, who is the only 1 supposed to have got all wisdom, Ananse becomes disappointed that some wisps of wisdom powerfulness have got remained on world after all, so, out of a deep sense of failure, he drops the pot which breaks to scatter all over the world all the wisdom stored inwards it. For this reason, wisdom has acquire the heritage of all humankind (Sackeyfio et al., 1994).
The siblings of Ntekuma are spectacular. One has a large caput (his shout out is Tikenenkenen literally important Very Very Big Head); 1 has a large tummy (his shout out is Afurudohwedohwe literally important Very Very Big Stomach) together with the other has tiny legs (his shout out is Nyankorɔnhweea literally important Very Very Tiny Legs) every bit nosotros have got previously observed of them. Anansewa has no siblings or woman parent inwards TMA. Her mother, who is anonymous inwards the play, is dead together with so Anansewa lives amongst only her father. However, she has a loving paternal grandmother together with a grand-aunt existence Ananse’s mother, Aya together with his aunt, Ekuwa.
On the 1 hand, Anansewa loves life together with represents modern ladies. She likes to acquire out but the
manful individual parent wants her to remain at dwelling house together with serve him every bit is seen inwards the next conversation betwixt the two:
Ananse: Going-and-coming is necessary…. Otherwise cypher succeeds. I went to purchase paper. Here is typing paper. Here is carbon paper. Here are envelopes… Sit downward amongst the machine.
Anansewa: [Petulantly] Ah, I was coming to tell yous I was going out.
Ananse: My daughter, it isn’t good at home, hence sit down down, opened upward up the machine I bought for your preparation together with allow the tips of your finger give some service for which I’m paying. I have got rattling urgent letters to write.
Anansewa: Just when I was going out? (p. 10)
Ananse: There yous sit down looking lovely together with it is exciting for yous to acquire out inwards all your beauty. That’s all yous know. But tell me, won’t yous render home, here, afterwards? (p. 11).
On the other hand, Anansewa is observed to live a immature lady who is respectful together with understands her identify unit of measurement difficulties. For instance, she stays behind to assist the father. Further, she knows that her fees every bit good every bit the in conclusion instalment on the typewriter she needs for her preparation are inwards arrears together with that the burden of that demand is on her father. Thus she is prepared together with also responsible plenty to undergo practical preparation together with report hard to acquire self-sufficient together with useful non only to herself but
also to her family, especially her father, who is struggling to consider her through education. She is literate, knows shorthand together with is preparation to live a professional person career woman. We every bit audience regain her able to type her father’s letters.
Besides formal schooling, Anansewa also humbles herself to move through the traditional preparations together with preparation meant to brand her a proper Akan adult woman together with the married adult woman of a chief, a adult woman of kernel together with a role model to the community. We are told that she genuinely likes together with enjoys her outdooring ceremony “so much” together with that, according to her grand-aunt, Ekuwa, Anansewa “keeps on asking questions inwards monastic enjoin to larn every bit much every bit she can” (p. 45). Later, when it becomes absolutely necessary for her to “die” every bit her manful individual parent requests her to do, she agrees, though non without asking questions, every bit is observed, for example, inwards the next dialogue betwixt the two:
Ananse: ... [Darting closer to her] Open your eyes broad together with allow me see.
Anansewa: What? Very well. I’ve opened them.
Ananse: [Peering into her eyes] for what reason? [She laughs.] Shut them tight.
Anansewa: [Smiling a fiddling together with obliging] I’ve closed them tight.
Ananse: Mhm Stiffen your limbs.
Anansewa: [Opening her eyes]. For what reason? [She laughs] Very well, I have got stiffened my limbs. [She does so.]
Ananse: Do it properly, I want yous to appear every bit though yous are dead.
Anansewa: What do yous mean? [She laughs.] I have got never died before.
Ananse: My daughter, I implore you, don’t waste matter time. What I’m doing is inwards serious preparation.
Anansewa: [Understanding cypher at all] Preparation?
Ananse: Yes my daughter, stiffen yourself.
Anansewa: [Doing so amongst laughter] There yous are. Are yous satisfied?
Ananse: Very pleased. It’s genuinely coming right. Try non to displace whatever business office of your body. [Anansewa tries.] Oh yes… And now… Can’t yous remove hold your breath?
Anansewa: [Finding this also much] Hold my breath! I shouldn’t breathe? As for that, definitely no, I can’t do it together with volition not.
Ananse: Oh but my daughter, it’s necessary for yous to die!
Anansewa: Me? [Words neglect her.] But father, I’m alive. I’m open-eyed. How tin I switch my life off together with on similar electricity?
Ananse: Don’t spout lightheaded jokes, yous don’t understand what nosotros are doing.
Anansewa: Then brand me understand; because this game you’re playing is total of mystery. I don’t similar it.
Ananse: My daughter.
Anansewa: My father.
Ananse: You are forcing me to tell yous those 4 people are coming. Just coming? They are rushing here. Sprinting.
Ananse: … racing hither similar burn downward blazing through grass… (pp. 55-56).
And she “dies” when the fourth dimension finally comes, inwards monastic enjoin to salve her manful individual parent from humiliation, amid other things, every bit the suitors, “those 4 people are coming”, “Just coming”, “rushing”, “Sprinting’, “racing hither similar burn downward blazing through grass” every bit Ananse puts it (p. 56). Thus Anansewa is rigid together with intelligent but also obedient.
Yet, she knows her rights together with volition non hook upward amongst blindly exactly to satisfy culture. As such, she questions the manful individual parent every bit to whatever she does non understand together with insists at 1 bespeak that she is onetime plenty to remove her ain hubby -“I’m non a child. I’m twenty” (p. 20) - together with so would non have got the manful individual parent remove whatever “old chief” (p. 20) for her or, every bit she puts it, sell her every bit a commodity-“I volition non allow yous sell me similar some bundle to a customer. [She sings on] I volition select my lover myself/I’ll never comply./ I volition non allow yous sell me…/Not ever!/Not ever!” (p. 20).
Later, however, when she learns that 1 of the chiefs is a wealthy, caring, good-looking together with relatively younger man: a “finely built, glowing black, largedeyed, handsome every bit anything, courageous together with famous” (p. 22) chief, who has been remitting her through the manful individual parent together with “not exactly showing involvement amongst his mouth” (p. 22), she falls apartment inwards love amongst him together with so cooperates amongst the manful individual parent to win this principal every bit her husband.
In this sense, Anansewa makes a pick of the hubby she loves together with non 1 imposed on her by
tradition. This comes out clearly inwards the next dialogue betwixt her together with her manful individual parent inwards which Ananse tries to hint that, he has taken gifts from 4 adept chiefs together with non exactly one, thereby already “entangling” her inwards the affair:
Anansewa: What 4 chiefs are racing here?
Ananse: Oh-h-h, dear! Rouse your retentiveness if it’s asleep together with remember. I tell yous at that topographic point is no fourth dimension to waste. Each chief’s messengers are on their way, urgently sent to identify your head-drink on the table.
… I tell yous each principal is coming running to claim yous every bit his wife.
Anansewa: [Laughing] over my dead body. … I repeat, over my dead body. How tin they claim me every bit their own? … . They dare not.
Ananse: …They tin dare.
Anansewa: Father, why? All that aside, why do yous say ‘they’? Why don’t yous say ‘he’, the unmarried one?
Ananse: [His eyes darting] are yous asking me why?
Anansewa: Yes why? Because I know that it’s only 1 principal nosotros are expecting to come. And every bit far every bit that individual is concerned, he cannot come upward also chop-chop for me. I’m waiting for him asleep together with awake. As for the other iii chiefs, my father, yous made them remove their eyes off me long ago, remember. Right at the beginning, yous refused to remove gifts from their hands…. (p. 56).
From the foregoing discussion, Anansewa is rattling much human dissimilar her father’s children inwards the Akan folktales. Thanks to Sutherland’s rich imagination together with artistry, Ananse tin similar a shot boast of a immature lady and, for that matter, a normal, modern together with believable 1 who tin think, understand, enquiry together with act. Sutherland’s fertile imagination leads to the creation of Anansewa thus deepening involvement inwards her play every bit an African classic together with inwards the Akan folktales every bit a cultural heritage.
Aya together with Ekuwa: Aya together with Ekuwa are also 2 novel women related to Ananse. Unlike Anansewa, they are introduced much afterwards inwards the play, inwards Act Three. Sutherland creates Aya every bit Ananse’s mother. For 1 time inwards the Akan folktales, Ananse has a biological mother, Aya. Aya is flesh together with blood together with a loving Akan grandmother of Anansewa. She adores her son, Ananse together with her grand-daughter, Anansewa, for whom she has been invited to serve, past times performing the traditional
“outdooring ceremony” for her. By this ceremony, Aya is to initiate her grandchild Anansewa into womanhood, especially every bit a adult woman prepared to remove a heavy responsibleness every bit a chief’s wife.
Even though the ceremony seems delayed together with Aya complains a little, she goes ahead amongst her sister, Ekuwa, to do the best for Anansewa, whom they variously refer to amongst so much affection together with price of endearment such every bit “your grandchild”, “this grandchild of yours” (p. 44), “our child”, “my grandchild” (pp. 45, 46 together with 47), “my aureate child” (p. 47), “my grandchild Anansewa”, “our girl” together with “this grandchild of mine” (p. 50).
It is instructive to greenback that Aya is a paternal grandmother. Now, every bit far every bit the Akan custom of
matrilineal inheritance is concerned, paternal grandmothers are mostly non also keen on their
grandchildren for the unproblematic ground that these grandchildren belong to their mother’s identify unit of measurement lineage.
Therefore, usually, grandmothers are rather to a greater extent than interested inwards their daughter’s children, that is, the
maternal grandchildren. Often a proverbial enquiry is posed to explicate this: “Woahunu akokɔnini a ne mma di n’akyi da?” literally important “have yous ever before seen a cock whose chicks are next it?” But reverse to this tradition, Aya shows bully involvement inwards Anansewa together with her success inwards life, both nowadays together with future, every bit far every bit the ceremony together with its significance are concerned. And she offers Anansewa the best gift which is a prayer for a hubby who has abide by for his immature human being human beings. Hear her:
"… My grandchild, Anansewa, your onetime lady knows
what is of existent value inwards this world. You notice that this
outstretched manus of mine is empty, it contains nothing.
And yet, this same empty manus volition succeed inwards placing
a gift into your brass bowl. What this manus is offering is
this prayer of mine. May the human being who comes to take
yous from our hands to his dwelling house be, inwards a higher identify all things, a
individual amongst abide by for his immature human being human beings …. (p.
51).
In TMA, Sutherland creates a province of affairs where Anansewa’s woman parent is no to a greater extent than together with nosotros do non every bit much every bit remove heed of or regain her maternal grandmother at all. Instead, it is her father’s mother-her paternal grandmother-who is nowadays together with must perform the highly of import “outdooring ceremony” for the immature lady. It is acknowledged that the ceremony appears delayed on line organization human relationship of Anansewa (probably because her woman parent is dead) together with Aya rightly questions “why now?”
Also, Aya becomes sincerely emotional together with briefly laments the sad absence of Anansewa’s woman parent at such a crucial fourth dimension together with at such a memorable 24-hour interval inwards the girl’s life. All the same, Aya takes consolation inwards Ekuwa’s words of reason-“… I don’t believe yous want to ruin Anansewa’s joy” (p. 45). So Aya gathers herself upward together with tackles the task caput on, amongst such love together with enthusiasm! And this paternal grandmother does the task remarkably good patch taking upward whatever other role which
Anansewa’s ain woman parent would likely have got played had she been alive.
Ekuwa confirms this when she declares of her sister, “Mm, Aya, are yous already here? I consider yous are keeping your eyes broad opened upward to brand surely that cypher goes incorrect amongst your grandchild Anansewa’s outdooring” (p. 44). Perhaps, amongst the portrayal of Aya inwards such a positive low-cal every bit far every bit she is Anansewa’s paternal grandmother, Sutherland is pointing out that this is how things ought to go, that paternal grandmothers must demo love together with affection to their son’s children the same way they do to their daughter’s.
On the business office of Ekuwa herself, she offers her grandchild, Anansewa, “service”, calling her “my child
of beauty” together with wishing her rattling very good (pp. 48 -49) together with nosotros regain her also every bit lovable every bit Aya, but somehow to a greater extent than objective. It is she who points out the wisdom inwards the adage that says “Better belatedly than never” when she explains to Aya almost the demand for the “outdooring ceremony” to remove identify fifty-fifty if it has somehow delayed for Anansewa. Ekuwa observes, “… I’ve been trying to explicate it to you. If this grandchild of yours is going to hook upward amongst a chief, then, it is our duty to set upward her inwards every way for the seat she volition live occupying inwards a palace” (p. 44). To this, Aya responds amongst the next words charged amongst sincere emotions:
"Aya: All right. Whatever it may be, I’m happy to see
my Anansewa conducting herself inwards the trend that
graces a woman. You do non know what feelings are
breaking together with ebbing similar waves within me because of
this ceremony nosotros are performing. This moving ridge brings
happiness together with that 1 brings pride together with another,
sadness. Yes, it is truthful that yous together with I are hither doing all
nosotros tin together with yet when I recall that the individual who
should live hither every bit well, bustling some Anansewa
should live her ain mother, then, my sis Ekuwa, a
moving ridge of sorrow crests upward within me mangling my
innards. [She starts to dirge] And it isn’t every bit though it is
where nosotros could send her a telegram to say, ‘come’. It
isn’t every bit though nosotros could send a messenger past times taxi to
fetch her. [She is almost to wail seriously.] Truly, death
has done some wickedness (p. 45).
Still, Aya portrays the bad mother in law deportment prevalent amid some Akan/Ghanaian women towards their in-laws. In fact, before Aya meets Christie personally for the firstly time, Aya’s remark to her sis Ekuwa is that Christie is “senselessly extravagant”(p. 45) together with she also complains without whatever proof that Christie “is serving my boy Kweku also hard” (p. 45).
By those remarks made behind Christie’s back, Aya is suggesting that Christie is after her boy Ananse’s wealth.
Worse, nosotros greenback how Aya despisingly refers to Christie every bit “that woman” together with “the woman” (p. 45)
whereas Christie lovingly calls her “Mother”. In fact, when Christie comes in, she addresses her nicely every bit “mother” together with delightedly exclaims to her: “How I have got dressed upward my immature lady Anansewa!” Sadly, however, Aya sarcastically mimics Christie’s words to her sister, later,-again inwards the absence of Christie-with the words “‘I’ve dressed upward my immature lady Anansewa’, indeed!”
Aya fifty-fifty goes to the extent of adding contemptuous remarks such every bit “When did my grandchild acquire her child?” together with also “Whom is she calling mother? Me?” (p. 46). When her sis Ekuwa
tries to bespeak out that Christie is at that topographic point on Ananse’s invitation together with that she is exactly trying to help, Aya,
“[snorting]”, has only this to say that, “The way I consider it she is leaning her ladder on my grandchild inwards monastic enjoin to climb upward to my son” (p. 45).
It is clear from these together with other reactions of hers that fifty-fifty though Aya is squeamish to Anansewa, when it
comes to Christie, Aya changes from existence a squeamish person- peradventure because she does non approve of the human relationship betwixt Ananse together with Christie. It may live argued that Ananse has non married Christie yet together with so Aya may live correct non to encourage illegitimate union or immorality, but together with so courtship must precede marriage? Or, existence traditionalist, Aya is non interested inwards courtship?
The truth of the thing is that, the deportment of some mothers-in-law or would-be ones inwards Akan land, Republic of Ghana together with elsewhere is exactly every bit that shown past times Ananse’s mother. It is surprising how the same individual tin demo so much affection together with yet so much disgust on line organization human relationship of the same son. Aya loves Anansewa, immature lady of her son, but Aya dislikes Christie, partner of her son.
Perhaps, 1 time again, Sutherland is using Aya to bespeak out the anomaly inwards monastic enjoin to encourage a alter inwards such “rival” mothers-in-law. “Love me love my dog”, Sutherland seems to advise.
Concerning Aya together with her sis Ekuwa, however, at that topographic point is a twist inwards the story which makes them pitiful, inwards that, after toiling so much to set upward Anansewa for union to a chief, inwards the end, they are told lies together with chased away past times Ananse, nether the pretext that they cannot stand upward the sad but mistaken decease of Anansewa. By sending them away, 1 tin conclude that, the poor women would non live some to partake inwards the merriment inwards the union of their paternal grandchild, Anansewa, to Chief-Who-Is-Chief. What a pity!
Christie: Like Anansewa together with the elderly women Aya together with Ekuwa inwards TMA, Christie is a adult woman inwards Ananse’s life together with a special 1 at that, existence his lover. Her total shout out is Miss Christina Yamoah together with she is described inwards the play every bit a “fashionable” woman, the proprietress of the Institute for Prospective Brides. Sutherland mentions her shout out much before at the terminate of Act Two when she is telephoned to remove tending of Anansewa at the Institute, yet Christie does non appear until afterwards inwards the
play, inwards Act Three, to clothes Anansewa on the 24-hour interval of the “outdooring ceremony”, where Christie joins the grannies together with Anansewa’s peers inwards the celebrations.
However, Miss Yamoah is made to dominate the funeral scenes since she literally becomes the human face upward of Ananse patch he seriously mourns his daughter, Anansewa, who is dead together with lies inwards state, at a fourth dimension when the onetime ladies have got genuinely left having been tricked to leave of absence past times Ananse before Anansewa’s death.
Christie is hence made to occupy a rattling of import seat including that of a linguist together with she
skillfully plays these roles to the admiration of all. In whatever case, she also reveals herself every bit a liar together with a crook exactly similar her lover, all inwards the shout out of love together with materialism. This is peculiarly so every bit she ensures that the sad atmosphere is maintained patch she tactfully prevents the situation, where the prevarication behind Ananse’s computer program could live exposed. Above all, Christie finds a agency of collecting whatever gifts are brought to Ananse past times the sympathizers.
Christie respects Ananse’s woman parent together with addresses her dearly every bit “mother” although she is non yet married to him together with Ananse’s woman parent does non seem to similar her. This shows how much she wants to live accepted every bit a daughter-in-law. According to Akan custom, the woman parent of one’s partner/spouse is indeed one’s woman parent every bit well.
To all intents together with purposes, Christie is rattling much inwards love amongst George Kweku Ananse, but Ananse seems to live dragging his feet concerning getting married to her. Yet Christie shows such love, tending together with concern to Ananse together with the immature lady Anansewa that she assists the grandmothers inwards the preparation for the “outdooring ceremony” and, indeed, presents to Anansewa something valuable, inwards the shape of a “sovereign” which is “so precious” to Christie; something she is so emotionally attached to together with says “I never thought I n never thought I would business office amongst this sovereign inwards my
hand” (p. 49).
As previously hinted, she ensures, to a greater extent than importantly, that neither Ananse nor Anansewa is
exposed during the mistaken death, lying-in-state together with resurrection of Anansewa. As Ananse wails
uncontrollably on line organization human relationship of the feigned ‘loss’ of his only kid albeit his dear daughter, Anansewa, it is Christie who takes the responsibleness of receiving the messengers of the 4 contesting chiefs, asks the mission according to custom together with takes accuse of the gifts they bring. She carefully guards the room where Anansewa’s “corpse” lies together with makes surely no-one gets also close the ‘body’ together with peradventure consider the corpse breathing. Also, she tries to console Ananse together with makes the whole scam affair rattling believable. In the end, Ananse, whom Christie affectionately calls “Georgie”, succeeds, cheers to her every bit much every bit to Anansewa, whom Christie lovingly refers to every bit “my daughter” (p. 45), “my darling”, “my sweetie” together with “my dear” (p. 49).
Sutherland’s presentation of Christie would seem to give acceptance to the pop Ghanaian platitude that says “Fear woman”, an facial expression often used to underscore the cunningness of women together with how unsafe they tin be.
In the in conclusion analysis, at that topographic point is promise that the two, that is, Christie together with Ananse, shall acquire 1 exactly every bit is most probable to occur betwixt the resurrected Anansewa together with the much dear Chief-Who-Is-Chief. Luckily for Christie, it is unlikely that she volition non live some to partake inwards the in conclusion enjoyment, especially when Aya is far away.
With the introduction of the young, “fashionable” Auntie Christie inwards TMA, Efua T. Sutherland also
reaffirms the saying that “beside every successful human being is a woman.”
Ananse: Ananse himself remains the onetime Kweku Ananse inwards the traditional Akan folktales. He is the archhero, arch-trickster and, indeed, the “owner” of the tales, every bit is to a greater extent than often than non accepted. In TMA, for example, these are confirmed. Not only is Ananse the principal grapheme but also he is the unbeatable trickster, who is able to play on the news of a whole community including his ain woman parent together with aunt together with fifty-fifty the “great” leaders of his society, existence “four prominent chiefs of
the land”!
We regain how the whole story of the union of Anansewa is dominated past times Ananse. Again, nosotros regain how, for instance, after Anansewa’s “outdooring ceremony” has been beautifully performed past times his woman parent together with aunt, Ananse finds a prevarication to tell them that an enemy has set burn downward to the identify unit of measurement property-being their only cocoa farm dorsum inwards their village, Nanka together with so gets them packing at that topographic point together with and so into a waiting taxi every bit they wail their fate, pointing accusing fingers at no 1 inwards item together with rushing dorsum dwelling house to their hamlet to consider to the “problem”. Moreover, nosotros also regain how Ananse confuses the whole community amongst his mistaken bereavement non to verbalize of how he makes the chiefs the butts of his 1 large joke of a union to his daughter.
Here, the truthful grapheme of Ananse every bit a trickster, a cheat together with a selfish human being is upheld past times Sutherland.
Yet Sutherland also transforms him every bit a to a greater extent than enlightened human being inwards TMA inwards monastic enjoin to heighten him to a novel bird inwards the system of things. And he becomes a adept man, too. Ananse’s novel identity is the anglicized 1 amongst the novel shout out ‘George’. George Kweku Ananse becomes the novel Akan man, who, dissimilar most Akan fathers of Sutherland’s time, volition educate his girl-child together with non consign her to early on union or confine her to only the kitchen exactly because she is female. Thus, patch wishing for the best caring human being to hook upward amongst her, Ananse makes surely that his immature lady volition acquire educated,
independent together with economically empowered; therefore, he struggles to consider her through schoolhouse together with professional person training, no thing how much it costs him, financially or emotionally.
It is also worth noting that fifty-fifty though Kweku acquires a novel unusual name, “George” (“Georgie”) together with amongst it an anglicized identity, he respects the traditions of his monastic enjoin together with culture. For instance, he believes inwards traditional union together with he gets an “outdooring ceremony” organized for his only immature lady to set upward her for marriage, inwards fact, the high calling of a chief’s wife, though a chip belatedly together with also after having prepared her at the Institute for Prospective Brides, inwards the tending of the stylish Madam Christie, the proprietess.
The significance of this seeming contradiction inwards Ananse is that, perhaps, it is possible to hook upward amongst positive aspects of different cultures without harm, especially inwards today’s globalised world. Again, Sutherland’s inventiveness is at its best inwards the carving of the novel Ananse of TMA together with the Akan folktales.

CONCLUSION
This newspaper has studied Efua T. Sutherland’s creative genius every bit far every bit characterization inwards TMA is
concerned. It has shown that although TMA is built some the famous Ananse grapheme of the Akan folktales, Sutherland artistically introduces a novel dimension to the Ananse identify unit of measurement past times bringing inwards novel entrants, who are all woman individual together with also past times redefining Ananse’s identity every bit a modern citizen of the globalised world. There is similar a shot a remainder of 4 women to correspond the 4 males inwards the master Ananse identify unit of measurement exterior him together with his wife, Asɔ.
Together amongst the grandparents, the novel identify unit of measurement of Ananse becomes to a greater extent than realistic, especially every bit an
African identify unit of measurement together with the members play their roles good every bit major together with little characters to advance the play, both plot-wise together with thematically. To a large extent, they all deed together with acquit similar existent people inwards the existent world of human beings. All these novel features of the Akan folktales every bit depicted inwards TMA have got been made possible owing to Sutherland’s success every bit a playwright amongst a powerful artistic presentation of characters.
However, every bit previously observed, Sutherland does non permit Asɔ to live. This is unfortunate inwards 2 main ways. First, because the traditional Ananse identify unit of measurement appears immortal every bit no fellow member of it has ever died inwards the Akan folktales. If anything, it is Ananse the trickster himself who, sometimes, pretends to live dead out of greed exactly to cheat the identify unit of measurement of nutrient (see for representative Tale 35 titled “Wives should aid their husbands to work”, inwards Mireku-Gyimah (2011), but he resurrects shortly after. So Ananse himself is also land immortal.
Sutherland should, therefore, have got allowed Asɔ the married adult woman to live, especially similar a shot that Asɔ has a daughter-and a rigid 1 for that matter-to back upward her against her trickster hubby together with mostly weak sons. Had Asɔ been spared to live, at that topographic point would have got been a perfect remainder of v males together with v females, who would have got represented the monastic enjoin better.
The existence of Asɔ the married adult woman together with Christie every bit a lover preparing to live a wife, or, possibly, a bit married adult woman would soundless non live out of identify but rather fifty-fifty to a greater extent than representative of the traditional society, which permits polygamy. And Christie would live the perfect stair mother-a competition who loves her hubby together with hence loves whatever belongs to him, inwards this case, his child, Anansewa, every bit her own. Perhaps Sutherland only kills off Asɔ exactly to attempt to avoid propagating polygamy which, exterior traditional society, is largely considered every bit immoral together with also to avoid adding to the woes of the suffering married adult woman amongst the presence of a co-wife or girlfriend. Once again, inwards all these dimensions, it is all Sutherland’s fine art at work.

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Mireku-Gyimah, P.B., 2011. 50 Akan Folktales from Ghana: English linguistic communication together with Akan Versions. LAP Lambert Academic Publishing GmbH, Saarbrucken, pp:
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Opoku-Agyemang, N.J., 1999. Gender role perceptions inwards the Akan folktales. Res. Afr.
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Owusu-Sarpong, C., 1998. Trilingual Anthology of Akan Folktales. Vol. 1, Yamens Paper Products
Ltd., Accra, pp: 17.
Sackeyfio, N.A., J.K. Adu together with B. Hyde, 1994. Ananse together with the Wisdom of the World. Republic of Ghana SSS English linguistic communication Book 1, MoE, Accra, pp: 24-25.
Sutherland, E.T., 1997. The Marriage of Anansewa. Longman African Classic, Animo Press Ltd., Ikeja, pp: 8.
Teiko, N.O., 2011. Themes together with Characterisation in
Amu Djoleto’s Money Galore. Akrong Publications, Accra, pp: 29.
spurcehttp://maxwellsci.com/print/crjss/v5-177-184.pdf

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