AFRICAN DRAMA
KOBINA SEKYE: The Blinkards
Comment on the role of Mr. Okadu in the play?
Explanation
Mr Okadu is a clerk in Chutney’s store. He is one who follows western beliefs and practices blindly and treats African customs contemptuously. He cuts a ludicrous figure in his attempt to ape the white man with his bad English and his ridiculous mannerism.
In presenting the character of Mr Okadu, the playwright satirizes Africans who copy western beliefs and practices indiscriminately. For example, when Mr. Onyimdze suggests at the garden-party that they should speak Fanti, Mr Okadu objects: “Why, sir, this is a garden-party, sir-English idea. We must talk English, sir.” This characterizes his behaviour throughout the play.
Mr. Okadu serves as a destabilizing force in the Tsiba household. His relationship with Miss Tsiba tears the home apart. First, it is a source of conflict between Mr. Tsiba and his wife, Na Sompa. Mr Tsiba supports the union because he sees in it a route to enhancing the status of his family. Na Sompa is incensed and does not conceal her hatred for Okadu. Na Sompa quits her home because of her opposition to the union and threatens never to speak to her husband again. Furthermore, the relationship between Mr Okadu and*Miss Tsiba results in Na Sompa’s heart failure and eventual death. This accentuates the negative influence of Mr Okadu on those around him.
Okadu epitomizes the alienated African who attempts to defend the beliefs and values he has uncritically adopted when they come under threat. For example, when Okadu’s marriage to Miss Tsiba is threatened with dissolution, he drags Miss Tsiba to court on a charge of bigamy. He is stubborn and refuses to let go even though it is clear that he has little support. Interestingly, this action leads to the climax of the play. The triumph of lawyer Onyimdze over Mr Okadu in court symbolizes a triumph of traditional values over imported western beliefs and practices. This hastens Mrs. Borofosem’s rehabilitation at the end of the play.