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The Weeping Voice - Synopsis by Fortune Nwaiwu

Synopsis

This tragic play finds its roots in the alleviation of poverty that consequently leads to the deaths of weeping voices. Mr. Stephen, although a man of principle, believes in the value of education, and this interest in education rekindles his bravado to train his only son Charles, with hope of what the future would bring for him. But his expectation is dashed to the ground as employment becomes a tug of war. His son, a doomed graduate, is inadvertently knocked down by a reckless taxi driver. At this critical time of mourning, his wife faints immediately and is followed by other weeping voices. The weeping voices also witness an astronomical upsurge of corruption, nepotism and social injustice in the country.

In this well-crafted play, the author tries to assert the need for vocational education because of the poor economy and lack of employment in the nation. In this vocational training, people would be exposed to different facets of skills and trades that will render them self-reliant and useful to society, in order to reduce the problem of unemployment. When they have been established, they can then proceed to enrol in conventional universities. In either way, both Charles and Ikem make divergent choices over learning a trade and attending university. Ikem decides to learn a trade, and later on enrols in a university to get a degree in Business Administration. This plan really works for him, while Charles struggles to obtain a degree and ends his life in a fatal accident. Though this play does not really downplay the importance of formal education, it displays an ideal way to cope in a hard economy. Thus, The Weeping Voice depicts people who have been affected by the poor economy which has resulted in unemployment and injustice.

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