SATIRE IN J.P. CLARK, WIVES REVOL AND OLA ROTIMIS OUR HUSBAND HAS MAD AGAIN,

SATIRE IN J.P. CLARK, WIVES REVOL AND OLA ROTIMIS OUR HUSBAND HAS MAD AGAIN,
 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Literature is as old as man itself, in time past, people use literature to mock and criticize governmental actions towards its subject. Every literary work aims at showcasing one thing or the other in the society.

According to Fafunwa, literature, after all, is life; it deals with men in every conceivable relation with others, his joy, and woes, his tragedies and comedies, his fears and hope (44).

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Thus, literature is seen as a distillation of human experience which permits thoughts and emotions as the imitation of life, it is educative and gives us insights into the nature of reality.

In the society which we found ourselves things happened and literary writers use many literary devices to projects the brutality of government officials against their subjects to mock the actions of the official devices are needed by a writer to save him or her from the rod of law and the hand of the corrupt leaders and this device is called satire.

Satirists use humor not only to ridicule their subject, but to gain the attention and trust of their leaders while readers might not always respond to a highly-conceptual, advance argument for change laid out in a dense manifesto or academic essay, they can easily and enjoyable recognized societal problems targeted by satirical writers. Some scholars argued that the popular appeal of satire helps to bring about actual social reforms, since the use of humor, makes it easier to disseminate political and societal critiques more widely.

Samuel Johnson opined; satire is a poem in which wickedness or folly is censured (91).

Nathaniel West stated that satire is a mocking spirit or tone that manifests itself in many literary genes can also enter into almost any kind of human communication (161) from the above definition Satire seek to expose something foolish in society.

In Africa literature, the use of satire by plays writers to mirror out unpatriotism, social, political and economic decadence in society.

Ola Rotimi's Our husband has mad again, Rotimi use major Brown to mock military regime and their wicked guest for power even after retiring from the military, Rotimi in Our husband has gone made again show the level to which military officers demands political offices by all means and J.P. Clark, Wives Revolt, Clark uses the play to mock government decision over the Niger Delta oil.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

It has been observed that oppression, bribery and victimization of a citizen in Nigeria and African society at large have become a normal routine. Moreover, the sharing of God’s gift mineral in society are not equally distributed to cover all the geo-political zones and ethnic groups.

There is also a lack of transparency and accountability by government officials. It is on this background that Satire in African Literature has become imperative as tools to foster charge.

1.3       Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to examining satire as a tool for societal change using Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband has gone mad again and J.P. Clark’s Wives Revolt. Rotimi and Clark use satire to reveal the wickedness and evil practices in Nigeria and African society. The purpose of this study shall then show negative impacts of corruption in African literature through Satire and how it destroys the lives, hope and dreams of the masses in particular and the societal at large.

1.4       Significance of the Study

The study will be significant in the following ways:

1.      It will reveal some of the corrupt practices in Africa

2.      The study shall also attempt to reveal forms of oppression and its effects in African literature as a whole.

3.      It will also boost other researchers to be acquainted with the use of Satire to reveal corrupt practices in African Literature.

4.      It will prompt Nigerians to refrain from the act of oppression.

1.5       Research Methodology

This research will be library based, the primary sources of information shall be J. P. Clark’s Wives Revolt and Ola Rotimi’s Our husband has gone mad again. The researcher will also source information from relevant secondary sources.

1.6       Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The scope of the study be limited to satire in African literature. An analysis of Clark’s Wives Revolt and Ola Rotimi’s Our husband has gone mad again. The scope will not extend to other areas as a result; the limitations will not affect the result of the findings.