Death and the King's Horseman Race Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Act.Line

Quote #4

You ignorant man. It is not he who calls himself Elesin Oba, it is his blood that says it. As it called out to his father before him and will to his son after him. And that is in spite of everything your white man can do. (3.20)

The woman in the market thinks of Amusa and his "white man" as being on totally different sides from her and the other Yoruba—a side that dishonors their traditions. She contends that Amusa and the British will be unable to stop them from carrying out the necessary rituals.

Quote #5

Move if you dare. We have your hats, what will you do about it? Didn't the white man teach you to take off your hats before women? (3.47)

Now an unnamed girl in the market is making fun of Amusa for his alliance with the white British administrators in their region. In asking about the manners he did and didn't learn from the English, she sets us up to see him as a mere puppet/puppy of the British.

Quote #6

—… I have a rather faithful ox called Amusa. (3.52)

When the girls are making fun of Amusa, they imitate the British talking about him. They assume that the British operate under a racist view of Amusa as a "faithful ox" rather than a person.