Character Analysis
Olunde is Elesin's eldest son. Although he 's left home to pursue his medical studies in England, he returns when he hears that the king has died, since he knows this means his father must die, too. When we meet him, he's come home to take care of the business that eldest sons have to take care of in such circumstances.
So he's dutiful, right? But get this: Apparently Olunde's departure to England caused some pretty serious conflict between him and his father; in fact, his father disowned him. And yet he still shows up pronto upon news of the king's death. He's like super dutiful, then.
And you know that education that Olunde's sacrificed so much for? Well, as it turns out, it's left him with a bad taste about England in his mouth—and he says as much when Jane asks whether he is "shocked" by seeing her in the egungun costumes she and Simon have worn to the ball. He says no, but then adds:
"No I am not shocked Mrs. Pilkings. You forget that I have now spent four years among your people. I discovered that you have no respect for what you do not understand." (4.67)
Youch—what a burn. We're going to go ahead and add outspoken to Olunde's list of attributes.
Initially, Olunde intends to return to England to continue his studies after everything with his father is squared away—but, as he explains Yoruban tradition to Jane, we get the sense that he still has a lot of respect for the rituals and customs of the people he grew up with. And because of this attention to tradition and custom, Olunde is super angry when his dad fails to carry off the ritual suicide.
How angry is Olunde? Angry enough that he ends up committing suicide to try to make things right, cosmologically speaking. It's unclear whether he's successful in that aim, but what is clear is this: The sense of duty is strong in this one.