AFRICAN PROSE
ASARE KONADU: A Woman In Her Prime
How does Pokuwaa cope with tradition in the novel?
Explanation
The novel provides a graphic picture of a society that is rooted in custom and tradition and Pokuwaa is no exception. Her devotion to carrying out the sacrifices and purification rites marks her out as a devotee of tradition. However, there is loss of confidence and disenchantment when she discovers that in spite of this religious devotion through sacrifices to the gods, her ambition is far from being realized. When thunder strikes the baobab tree outside the village, the people of Brenhoma feel it is a bad omen and that the gods are angry and must be pacified. Pokuwaa seriously takes part in the purification rites, praying that the gods will make her fertile. She has performed several purification rites to the god Tano and has consulted several herbalists without success. To add to her disappointment, she realizes that there is little difference between the herbal medicines given to her by the Tano priest and the ones she has received from other herbalists - medicines which has failed to work. This accentuates her doubts about the efficacy of traditional medicine. Her doubts even extend to the belief in ancestral influences.
Her journey to the Ananse stream, though made in ignorance, reveals an attitude of mind that has given up the idea of strictly following the tradition of the society. When Pokuwaa is urged to return the hornbill which she has caught from an eagle, she goes just a few yards into the bush and throws the hornbill away.
The resolve by Pokuwaa to discontinue making sacrifices to the gods is an expression of dissatisfaction with the state of affairs. She destroys the pot she has hitherto used to prepare the herbal drugs and burns the talisman she has worn round her waist. After she has done all these, she experiences peace. Thus her becoming pregnant only after she has discontinued the sacrifice, is a vindication of her refusal to adhere slavishly to tradition and spells victory for her: