USE OF MOVEMENT IN THE PLAY INHERITANCE

The play Inheritance has involved various aspects of English literature styles in order to create a very compelling work of art. Normally, plays are divided into Acts; however, the playwright chose to use movement instead of acts. Movement shows motion, a change in position from one point to another, a transition.

In this regard, David Mulwa tries to weave a transitional play; a play that doesn’t occur in acts but moves from one place to another or time to another.

The play starts off (in the prologue) in colonial Kutula led by colonial Governor Thorne Macay with the advisory board made up of Bishop Menninger. During this period, there is a lot of opposition fronted by the people who are led by the wise and beloved King Kutula XV. King Kutula seems adamant to reach an understanding in which his people will continue being slaves to their colonial masters even though they are politically independent. He refuses any form of independence fronted by Thorne in which the colonial master still holds the leash. This decision angers, Thorne Macay and Menninger.

In order to continue holding their leash on Kutula, Thorne, and Menninger hatch a plan to silently remove the beloved king. Their decision determines the future of Kutula. Thirty years later, the colonial powers still determine whatever happens in Kutula with the help of a new leader Lacuna Kasoo.  

From the prologue, we realize why the playwright decided to use movement instead of acts. What happened in the prologue determines what happens in Movement 1. The now-independent Kutula is under the late King Kutula’s son. The country is in a deplorable state just like in the colonial period. In fact things are worse; the current leader is running the economy into the shambles and the country is heavily in debt.

Controlled by two international financiers, Daniel Goldstein and Robert Rollerstone, the country’s leadership is hell-bent on satisfying colonial greed at the mercy of the citizens. Lacuna is less interested in serving his people but keen on presenting a picture of development to his financiers. In Movement 2 scene 2 pg 76 Goldstein sits on the throne and displays the exact power that runs Kutula. Lacuna is just a helpless puppet with insatiable greed. Goldstein and his financiers are the real power in Kutula. The change in power in this scene baffles one of Lacuna’s attendants. Called in to receive orders from his leader, the servant finds Goldstein on the ‘sacred’ throne. The confused servant is disturbed but humbly obeys his leader.   

In this respect, the writer displays inertia as a form of movement since no movement has been done at all, though the country is three decades old. The people of Kutula have remained a colonized state despite their spirited fight for emancipation under King Kutula XV. Lacuna Kasoo is still submissive to foreign masters as seen on pg 76 and commands his servants just like the colonial police would do. The same can be said of Councillor Chipande; he submissively talks to Goldstein and Rollerstone but yells at his own people (pg59.)  

Movement also describes Judah Zen Melo’s life. He started off as a senior civil servant but fell from grace when he refused to eliminate Romanus Bengo. Bengo was an activist and Judah’s brother. As an activist, Bengo opposed Lacuna’s policies and gained a significant following. In fact, Bengo refutes the claim that Lacuna had been chosen by the gods. As Bengo is incarcerated by Lacuna’s regime, Judah is beaten brutally and left for dead. Subsequently, Judah is fired from his position and everything is made such that he loses his grandeur and wealth. Ultimately, Judah tries in vain to clear his name and gain Lacuna’s blessings. He is never given a chance to redeem himself. He dies a poor drunk man fighting with the younger generation for cheap labour in the silver mines.

Judah Zen Melo’s movement captures the incessant search for greener pastures by adults in the present day society. The situation is made difficult especially when one is laid off from their former employment. Left without connections, you are left to wander the streets until death beckons.

Movement in the plays also captures the change of scenes. The play begins in the palace, traverses through Tamina Zen Melo’s house, and then to Kutula people’s park. From Kutula People’s Park, we are taken to the palace and then to the rebel’s hideout. The rebels are led by Bengo. Bengo together with Reverend Sangoi leads the people on the final movement to the royal palace where Lacuna is ousted from power. The movement is swift and that is why Lacuna and his loyalists do not see it coming. They are caught unaware and unprepared to defend their positions. Movement here captures the essence of peaceful demonstration and a force of the people united against a common wrong. Although Lacuna had awarded members of his clan and those close to him, he was not prepared for what was coming. He had stayed in power for long. Power had blinded him from the building rebellion. Therefore, when the force of the masses came, calm and immense, it found him asleep and comfortable. It found him defenseless, and like a raging flood, he was thrown out of the warmth of power.

Finally, movement captures shifting positions. In this play, the colonialists were not prepared to lose their grasp on Kutula’s economic gains. They, therefore, hatched a plan that would guarantee their hand on Kutula’s fortunes. Since the colonialists enjoy the upper economic hand, they easily manipulate greedy leaders like Lacuna. However, they were not prepared for the coming revolution. Robert and Goldstein learn from the revolution the true meaning of a country’s sovereignty. Firstly, they are detained by Lacuna. They are then released by Reverend Sangoi who reads to them the new terms of business engagements. They had been setting standards in the name of developing Kutula while just whetting the appetite of leaders like Lacuna. The construction of the dam denied the people of Bukelenge Valley water and the planned eviction would further put an economic dent on the people while leaders and their foreign counterparts reap big from these projects.

Finally, movement represents change. The change from colonialism was inevitable but took a further three decades to materialize. The journey towards decolonization took the people from western colonization to local colonialism before arriving at the final stage of self-actualization. The movement was not sudden but took quite a period of time to teach the people about perseverance and the need to protect their hard-earned freedom.

Movement in the play highlights the essence of unanimous agreement in times of need. It also points towards non-violent means of gaining peace. In this respect, the playwright seems to be advocating for Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent resistance against dictatorial and manipulative regimes.