CHAPTER
ONE
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).
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 uses many literary devices to projects the
brutality of government officials against their subjects to mock the actions of
the official devices is need by a writer to save him or her from the rod of law
and the hand of the corrupt leaders and this devices 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 enjoyably
recognised 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 exposes something foolish in the society.
In Africa literature, the use of satire by plays
writers to mirror out unpartriotism, social, political and economic decadence
in the society.
Ola Rotimis 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 for 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 citizen in Nigeria and African society at large have become a
normal routine. Moreover, the sharing of the God’s gift mineral in the society
are not equally distributed to cover all the geo-political zones and ethnic
groups.
There is also lack of transparency and accountability by government officials. It is on this background that Satire in African Literature have become imperative as a 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 be 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 for 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.
1.7 Objectives of the Study
The
objectives of the research will be:
1. To use satire to mirror out some decay
practices in African literature.
2. To exposed corrupt practices in African
literature.
3. To create an awareness on the need to
put a stop to such practices.
1.8 Bio-Data of the Author
John Pepper Clark was born on April 6, 1935. A
native of Kiagbodo in Nigeria, he studies at University of Ibadan where he
graduated with a degree in English in 1960. He began his career as a writer and
journalist and became chief editor of Daily express in Lagos. He later moves to
America in 1962 to further his education at Princeton University. He became a
lecturer at University of Lagos and co-editor of the literary journal “Black
Orpheus”.
He is a playwright, a poet and a great writer, some of his work include; verse collections poems (1962), “A Reed in Tide” (1965), State of the Union (1985). His play work include: Song of a Goat (1961) The masquerade (1965), The Raft (1978), Ozidi of Atazi (1978), Wives Revolt (19) and others.
1.8.2 Bio-Data of the Author
Gladtone Olawale Rotimi was born on Apri 13, 1938, a
native of Sapele, Delta State, Nigeria. He died on August 18, 2001 at Ille-Ife;
he was a scholar, playwright and a director. He obtained his degree at Lagos
State University and later travelled to the United States in 1959 to study in
Boston University after receiving a B.A in Fine Art in 1963, he attended the
Yale school of Drama where he graduated with M.A, 1966.
He taught at University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo
University), he spent most of his years at the Caribbean and the United States in
St. Paul Minnesota. His plays include: To
stir the God of Iron (1963) and Our
husband has gone mad again (1977), The
Gods are not to blame (1971), Koronmi
and the Prodiga (1974), Tragedy of
the Ruled (1983); and Hopes of the
living dead (1988) etc.
1.9 Definition of Terms
Satire: A
literary device of writing or act which principally ridicules its subjects
often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change.
Humor:
The quality of being amusing, comical, funny etc. which makes people laugh a
lot.
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