CHARACTER, POWER, AND THE BURDEN OF TRADITION: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF JAMES ENE HENSHAWS THIS IS OUR CHANCE AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE

This paper provides a critical examination of James Ene Henshaws seminal play, This is Our Chance (1956), widely regarded as the first published full-length play by a West African playwright. Through a focused analysis of characterisation and setting, the study explores how Henshaw crafts a narrative that illuminates the complex power dynamics inherent in traditional African societies during the colonial transition period. The paper argues that the characters in the play serve metaphorical and allegorical functions that project power structures, patriarchal authority, generational conflict, the marginalisation of women, and the tension between enculturation and acculturation, which remain strikingly relevant in contemporary Africa and the broader global context of 2025. Employing qualitative textual analysis and drawing on existing scholarship, the study reveals how Henshaws seemingly simple narrative contains intricate commentary on governan ce, gender relations, cultural identity, and the moral dilemmas facing societies in transition.