Satire In Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Madagain And Zulu Sofola’s The Wizard Of Law

SATIRE IN OLA ROTIMI’S OUR HUSBAND HAS GONE MADAGAIN AND ZULU SOFOLA’S THE WIZARD OF LAW

 

ABSTRACT

The main thrust of this research work was on satire in Ola Rotimi’sOur Husband Has Gone Mad Again and Zulu Sofola’sThe Wizard of Law. The concept of satire was clearly reviewed under the review of related literature. In this regard, satire is seen as a literary composition in prose or drama intending to expose, ridicule, criticize or hold up to scorn the follies, abuse of vice of a person. It was also discovered that satire has satisfied the popular need to debunk and ridicule the leading figures in politics, economy, religion, and other prominent real of power. Since the two novels were analyzed critically, showing some element of satire. Recommendations were made such as satirists should write and convince the society especially the youths, and the use of satire in understanding and urging better behaviours in the society.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

          Satire is a genre of literature and technique employed by writers to expose and criticized foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule. It also intends to prove humanity by criticizing its follies and foibles.

According to Femi Osofian, satire in literature entertains, in fact most entertain, but it is only the dim or brain washed artist who is content merely to entertain, to play the clown. The primary value of literature seems to me to lie in its subversivepotential, that explosive change which lies hidden behind the façade of entertainment and which must be controlled and made to explodes for the used of our people, of mankind. Literature must be used to play its rolein the advancement of our society, in the urgent struggle against neo-colonialism and the insidious spread of fascism.In a society, satire is a form of writing which makes fun of the evil of foolish behavours of people, institutions or society in general.

The literary artist is known to have satire from the beginning to shape and influence the minds of contemporary satirists. Apart from the Greeks and Romans, we also had great in criticizing the actions of men and the short comings in the society as a whole, a good example is chaueur. From the 18^thcentury to the present, such names as pope, spencer, swife, Soyinka, zulu and Ola Rotimi’s readily came to mind when we consider artists who have used the creative works to expose the ills in their respective societies.

Satire usages are not confined to contemporary writers alone. In a traditional African society, People used satire to attack people who show negative tendencies in their characters.Societies as a whole ridicule people through songs, proverbs, folktales and other verbal arts.

According to Zulu Sofola and Ola Rotimi, the use of satire as an artistic mode of expressing the social reality in contemporary Nigeria. The Nigeria society for them is obviously a chaotic one where dreams and aspirations of people remain unrealized. They have all corruption, disillusionment and discrimination that have become part and parcel of the society. Their main objective in the writing of satire plays is to attack the aforementationed ills in the society.They have committed themselves as writers who are to restore order in the society which is much more engulfed in a mirage of socio-political, cultural and economic problems.

According to Barnet says, satire is a work ridiculing aspects of humanbehaviour and seeking to arouse in the audience contempt for its object. To Abraham, satire as the literary act of diminishing a subject by making it ridiculous and evoking towards it an attitude of amusement, contempt, indignationor scorn. If differs from the comic in the comedy mainly as end in itself, while Satire deride that is, it useslaughter as a weapon and against a butt existing out side the work itself. Moody on his own defines satire as any form a piece of writing which is deliberately and humorously critical in intension (208). Satire as a work which ridicules or holds up to scorn the vices,crimes, absurdities of men and individuals of different class and organization.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Satire has not been used over the years by literary writers for criticizing individuals of different class, organization, absurdity of men in the society. But today, satire has becomes a social art used by writers to point out the foolishness, madness and humor in the literary works. Therefore, the above mention problem has makes writers use satire as a literary device. In the same vein, it has becomes a specific aspect of literature, and it is one among the many devices which expressed idea through language. It is a style adopted by many writers, and the different styles adopted by a writer to enables him to tell his story and the differences between writers. What they areknown for, satire has not been duely used as a corrective tool or means for social ills.

However, satire seeks to create a shock of recognition, to makes vice (s) repulsive or disgusting, so that the vices will be expunged from the person or society, under attack so as to restore morality.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

          The purpose of this research work is to discuss the satire important in Zulu Sofola’sThe Wizard of Lawand Ola Rotimi’sOur Husband Has Gone Mad Again, and important of satire of literary writers to the society.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to lecturers of English and literature, teachers, student’s and other researchers who have interest in literature about the importance of satire in the society and in literary works.

1.5 Research Methodology

The method, used by the researcher will be the novels used in the topic Zulu Sofola’sThe Wizard of Law and Ola Rotimi’sOur Husband Has Gone Mad Again as the primary information. Internet, magazines, library will be used as the secondary sources.

1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study

          The scope of this study will be limited to Zulu Sofola’sThe Wizard of Lawand Ola Rotimi’sOur Husband Has Gone Mad Again, by showing and criticizing the important of satire in literature works.

1. 7    Definition of Terms

Satire is the act of portraying a person’s character or idea with the use of comic attitude.