Many research works on the child soldier phenomenon seem to focus largely on the war-time experiences of the child soldier. Consequently, great attention is given to the life of the child soldier ...during the war. This paper, through qualitative content analysis and the trauma theory (Cathy Caruth’s concept of belatedness and Dominick LaCapra’s concept of acting-out) pays particular attention to the child soldier’s life after the war and his preparedness towards reintegration. The difficulty that accompanies this exercise is what makes obvious the loss of the child soldier. Even though he is far away from the war, he becomes a troubled and lost child who struggles futilely to erase his war-time memories. The paper finds that the child soldier’s loss is often manifested in the form of extreme violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, identity crisis and the lack of trust. Also, the paper subtly questions rehabilitation as an absolute curative measure for the child who was once a vicious perpetrator of violence and chaos. The paper finds that although rehabilitation provides a serene environment for the former child soldier and attempts to normalize his difficult and painful memories in his present world, it does not completely heal him of his psychological pain and wound.
African artworks, to be specific, literature has for quite a long time now demonstrated African tradition and culture. One major African literary tool that has maintained its efficacy in the African ...cultural heritage is the use of proverbs. Proverbs have been diversely used to perform several functions in the African traditional setting. Among such functions are: confirming opinions, warning, showing regrets, doubts, justifications and many more. This paper seeks to examine some selected proverbs from Chinua Achebe’s novels – Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God. Significantly, one can conclude that the style of a writer can go a long way in determining the reception and authenticity of his works. Chinua Achebe has extensively employed proverbs in his works as a tool for setting out or revealing his characters, themes and many others. This study is a pragma-stylistic approach to the analysis of proverbs used by Achebe in the selected novels. The researchers focus primarily on the style, meaning and function of the proverbs used in the selected texts. A critical content analysis method is employed for this study to determine the functions of the proverbs within the context of the novel. This study brings to the fore the very nature of African proverbs, specifically the Igbo of Nigeria and reveals the various functions ascribed to these proverbs. This will provide readers with the necessary knowledge on the very reasons why some proverbs are used and will ignite the research impetus of some researchers to further investigate other approaches to proverbs. This study has contributed immensely to the existing literature on pragma-stylistic studies and the understanding of a pragma-stylistic approach as a theoretical concept with a unique focus on analysing African proverbs.
Keywords: Achebe, Proverbs, Pragmatics, Pragma-stylistics, Stylistics
Various genres of literature within the African context have over the years portrayed and highlighted African cultures and traditions. One effective tool that has been used in the full realization of ...this has been the use of proverbs. The present study set out to examine how proverbs are used in Kemi Adetiba’s popular movie franchise, King of Boys, from the pragma-stylistic perspective. The paper opines that proverbs are not used arbitrarily by screenwriters, but are specifically used, through various figures of speech, to offer caution, warning or advice, assert one’s authority and power, and show one’s intent to achieve a goal. This study extends knowledge in the study of proverbs and presents language use in movies as a rich avenue in the promotion of knowledge in African societies.
Keywords: Proverb, Pragmatics, Stylistics, Pragma-stylistics.
The coexistence of nature and culture becomes an essential subject of study in the quest for ecological sustainability. Positive cultural traditions must be perpetuated to preserve the environment, ...as man’s attitude has amply demonstrated. The complex relationships between nature and culture make it even more important to take into account a comprehensive approach that acknowledges the interconnectedness of humans and the ecosystem. The goal of this study was to explore Zakes Mda’s The Heart of Redness with a particular emphasis on how nature and culture can coexist to promote a sustainable ecosystem. It adopted postcolonial ecocriticism as its conceptual framework. The question that guided this study was: “How have nature and culture been presented in the novel to create eco-consciousness?” This study encourages readers to reflect critically, through a textual analysis of the unique characters that the novel presents, on how their choices affect the natural world and how culture and the natural world coexist. It serves as a gentle reminder to readers that keeping a harmonious balance between tradition and modernity is essential for both the survival of the ecosystem and the maintenance of a common human identity. This study ultimately contributes to the growing body of literature on postcolonial ecocriticism.
Keywords: Culture, Ecological, Nature, Postcolonial-Ecocriticism, Sustainability
The academic space has witnessed in recent times, a plethora of research works on child soldiering. However, the majority of these works are often viewed from a non-literary perspective. Using ...textual analysis which is purely qualitative in nature, this paper, from a literary perspective, focused on examining the representation of the child soldier figure in Iweala’s Beasts of No Nation by paying particular attention to the characterization of the child soldier as an individual who transitions from a victim of war to a victimizer. With the help of the trauma theory, the paper discussed and provided an understanding of the physiological factors and reactions that necessitate this transition. Based on Bloom’s concepts of trauma and the general theory of trauma, the paper finds that the child soldier transitions from a victim of war to a victimizer is a result of the fear that overwhelms him. Again, the child soldier undergoes this transition in order to survive the war – anarchetypal mammalian survival response. This study is significant as it has contributed to the existing literature on child soldier narratives in Africa and provided an understanding of the child soldier’s reactions and responses to the devastating trauma that accompanies war.
Matters concerning infertility mostly hinge on societal narratives. This has led to a lot of misconceptions which have had great influence in the lives of people and society at large. Several ...literary works have given space to issues of infertility and have highlighted pertinent issues that have received too much or little attention from society. In this paper, using a qualitative methodological approach, disturbing discoveries concerning how the issue of infertility is handled in African societies have been made from Ayobami Adebayo's Stay With Me, highlighting the fact that all accusing eyes turn to the woman when the home is void of a child and the position men assume in such instances. Leaning on the theories of feminism and masculinity, this study seeks to expose the neglected aspect of infertility by highlighting the gaps in the ways infertility issues are handled in African societies and contributing to the knowledge bank of academia.
Classical and African myths and legends recognize and acknowledge male heroes. The male’s role as protector and keeper of the traditions and cultures of the society accords him the opportunity to ...embark on heroic journeys. The female’s role as caretaker of the family and the home makes her more docile. Using a close textual analysis on the content of Emecheta’s Kehinde, from the perspective of the Hero’s Journey (Campbell, 1968), the researchers bring to bear the heroic capabilities of females. The paper asserts that Emecheta fashions the protagonist’s journey in a series of departures that help her obtain the ultimate boon. Kehinde’s journey highlights the idea of racial discrimination, patriarchal and cultural shackles, freedom, identity as well as self-love. The paper concludes that the heroine undergoes a non-lineal and unpredictable journey to attain self-discovery, growth, and development.
The present study was carried out to assess Mrs. Obama’s assertion, “grief and resilience live together”, in Miller’s tragedy, Death of a Salesman, from the theoretical perspectives of Marxism and ...Psychoanalysis. Using a qualitative content analysis, the paper finds that even though the protagonist meets his tragic end through his sufferings and disillusion, he displays unparalleled courage, resilience and optimism, as a common man, in a battle with the capitalist society. The paper affirms the afore-said statement and limns the defects of capitalism and its consequences on its victims – more so their psyche and mental state. With this paper, the researchers seek to expose the ills of capitalism and its devastating effects on the working-class members of the society.
There have been literary scholars such as Ruth Finnegan who have argued and asserted that drama is not a literary genre that is well developed in Africa. Although this assertion has been refuted and ...disproved by other literary scholars such as Euchero, Enekwe and Owomoyela, people still struggle with exactly what drama in Africa entails and is about. Whether the dramatic elements and traditions found in the performances are simply not remnants of the encounter with the western world as popularly postulated or they are actually traditions deeply rooted in the culture and identity as Africans. The paper used a qualitative research method that is essentially rooted in ethnography and historical facts that surround the Homowo festival. Also, with Afrocentric theory and Structural Theory of Myth, this paper has critically examined the Homowo festival of the people of Teshie in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana as an African drama and established that the various performances during the festival festivities have the features of drama and not only that, but they practically and vividly show how the performances are rooted in history, myth, rituals and the belief of the people in the community; thus, exhibiting a clear perspective of African drama. This study further contributes to the existing knowledge on oral literature and the treatment of festivals in Africa as a literary genre. It presents the Homowo festival as a fully fledged cultural practice that takes into cognizance essential dramatic elements embedded in its performance.
Keywords: Festival, African Drama, Myth, Homowo
Music is a part of life in Ghana. Studying a people’s music brings one closer to understanding them since music and reality are intertwined. Despite this reality, the contribution of popular music to ...national discourse has not received adequate research attention in Ghana. This paper sets out to study the lyrics of one of the songs of Ebony Reigns (Opoku-Kwarteng Priscilla), a Ghanaian musician who died few years ago. Using the womanist theory, the paper investigates how the tenets of this theory are inscribed in the song, the problems that womanism addresses in the song and their implications to the Ghanaian youth. The researchers conclude from the analysis in the paper that the youth have to use social media with caution; they need to listen to advice from the elderly in choosing life partners and the African woman needs to fight for self-expression and liberation through positive cultural means.
PDF
