Abstract
Analysis of 2 plays by African dramatist Wole Soyinka. Discusses fusion of traditional & modern forms in "The Lion & the Jewel" and "The Trials of Brother Jero." Conflicts re: traditional culture to culture of Europe. Themes explored. Colonial experience of Africa. Community customs. Treatment of women--bride price vs. marrying for love. Clash between African traditional religion & Christianity. Power of the idea of cummunity.

From the Paper
"All forms of drama exist in Africa today, including drama from past and present, ritual and ceremony, dance mime and modern play. These forms can be found throughout the continent where traditional drama in the villages and imported amusements in films and television are found side by side. Traditional African drama is so tightly integrated into African religion and customs that identifying "theater" as a separate entity is unrealistic. There is a wide variety of staged theater in Africa, including not only written plays but also storytelling, puppetry, and ritual drama. The plays of Wole Soyinka show how traditional forms and modern forms are fused in plays that openly compare traditional culture to the culture of Europe as introduced in the age of imperialism.
In the play "The Lion and the Jewel" by Wole Soyinka, the..."

Abstract
This paper examines how China's reaction to the Asian tsunami illustrates that not only has it come out of its isolation, but that it is intent on becoming a regional superpower. It looks at how the reaction to the event shows that China is not the global threat to peace and stability as it is often pictured, but a developing superpower, which has identified regional and global political and economic stability as essential requirements for Chinese stability and growth.

From the Paper
"Throughout the twentieth century, China was an isolated nation, never interacting with global or regional issues. China, over the past decades, was solely focused on its internal affairs and on locking out the external. Thus, China's reaction to the tsunami is significant one because it is the first time in decades for China to express any degree of interest in a regional issue. It has given aid, collected donations from the population, and contributed military and medical to help in the relief operations. In fact, the United Nations did not impose China's isolation, unlike that experienced by other nations like Iraq or Libya, but the Chinese leadership freely chose it. The University of Illinois professor, Suraj Sengupta expressed that China had always been an isolated country that has discouraged, and sometimes prevented, contact with the outside world (389-390). China was the last surviving communist power whose political and economic policies prevented even the exchange of ideas with the West or any other country (390)."

Tags:japan, cummunism, aid, superpower