Analysis of Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again
Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again is a text written by Ola Rotimi the subject matter in this play revolves round the politics after independence. The post independence period was corrupt with looting of treasury. After independence, writers became disillusioned (dissatisfied) and this brought about post independent disillusionment. As an aftermath of the independence, many writers wrote to ridicule the political abuse of that period in Nigeria. It was this very corrupt political era when politicians were preoccupied with embezzling national funds that gave birth to Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again.
As a satire, Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again laughs at the political excesses of Nigerian politicians. This two-act play also mocks polygamy with its attendant consequences. Major Rahman Taslim Lejoka-Brown is a retired army officer who leaves his successful cocoa business to join partisan politics. He does not do this because he loves to serve the people but because of what he is going to gain money and fame. While serving in the Congo, Lejoka-Brown had been married to his eldest brother’s wife, Mama Rashida by his father without his consent. This happened two days before his marriage to Liza, an American Catholic nurse.
Analysis of Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again
As Liza goes to the USA to study Medicine, Lejoka-Brown leaves for Nigeria to join partisan politics. In order to win more votes, especially from the women, Lejoka-Brown has to marry Sikira, the daughter of the President of the market women union. After the election, Liza returns to discover that she is not the only woman in the life of Lejoka-Brown. As would be expected from a typical Western Catholic woman who cannot tolerate polygamy, she begins to foment trouble. This later leads to comical cultural conflicts.
These conflicts later take a different dramatic turn as Liza begins to give Sikira provoking ideas about what she calls ‘women’s lib’ or women liberation. The rather too many conflicts of the play finally come to a resolution as Sikira finally joins politics after much persuasion by Liza and Mama Rashida leaves Lagos to seek better conditions in the villages. This resolution comes as result of Liza’s tact in handling those women. Lejoka-Brown on the other hand is booted out of the National Liberation Party because of high-handedness and he regrets leaving his lucrative cocoa business to join politics.