AFRICAN POETRY
Comment on the theme of conflict of cultures in Kobena Acquah's In the navel of the Soul
The poem highlights the conflict of cultures between Western values and African traditional values. On the side of Western values are the 'experts' who claim to be scientific and rational because their conclusions are based on laboratory test of urine to determine the presence or otherwise of pregnancy. On the side of tradition are 'the midwives of the spirit' who depend on intuition and feeling to prove the presence of pregnancy.
The conflict is therefore manifested in the different opinions each group has concerning the proof of the pregnancy. `The midwives of the spirit' claim that if they 'hear' a heart-throb when they put their finger on the navel, and 'feel a foetal throb', then, there is pregnancy. The 'experts' claim that the proof of pregnancy can only be established through urine test, 'palpation' results and 'the fundal height'.
The conflict is further accentuated by the so-called 'experts' description of the traditionalists as 'mad' just because their methods are not scientific. The persona counters this claim by declaring: "If madness nurtures such lucidity, God, make us mad- Make us more mad".
The Persona's quotation of Blaise Paschal at the head of the poem indicates his support for the traditionalists. The 'quizzical glare' of the experts show that they are the ones who are confused, not the traditionalists whom they describe as mad. It is presumptuous on the part of the experts to claim that God is on their side.
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