REALISM IN ON TWO NIGERIA NOVELS: CHINUE ACHEBE’S ANTHILLS OF THE SAVANNAH AND WALE OKEDIRAN’S STRANGE ENCOUNTERS

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REALISM IN ON TWO NIGERIA NOVELS: CHINUE ACHEBE’S ANTHILLS OF THE SAVANNAH AND WALE OKEDIRAN’S STRANGE ENCOUNTERS

ABSTRACT

Chinua Achebe has proven his worth among English-speaking Nigerian novelists

by representing the Nigerian social and political environment in a thoroughly realistic way. His novels depict life within a particular historical background, and convey a sense of growing disgust and unrest within Nigerian society, a society that has started to emerge from the ‘colonial complex’ caused by years of denigration and self-abasement. Anthils of the Savannah (1987) by Achebe and Strange Encounters by Wale Okediran describe Nigeria in its post-independence phase, during which time the country became a ‘cesspool of corruption and misrule’ in the context of colonial-style social and economic development, a situation that resulted in conflict between the emergent, elitist middle class and the general population. Achebe’s reputation as a novelist rests on his impartial understanding of, and ability to represent, the Nigerian environment. His realistic characterization, and diagnosis, of his country’s malaise has the power to inspire a revolution informed by African ideologies.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Realism and the Nigerian novel have become holistically marred with real life practices portrays in the Nigerian novels. However, in the process of this unification, the novel has been infused with Nigerian traditional aesthetics and factual experiences of the Nigerian society. This adaptation generates the possibility of employing the Nigerian novel as an acclaimed tool for the examination and cross-examination of Africans. Critical self-examination comes right after the Nigerian novel is employed as a tool for rehabilitating the Nigerian culture, due to the collapse it suffered in the hands of the colonial masters.

However, it serves as the only literary measure to be engaged, since the colonialist left Africans with options of activities, which if engage in, would unveil various magnitudes of disillusionments. The portrayal of Africans and their activities in the Nigerian novel has become so much that it is seen as a moderator of the activities of Africans. However, it also serves as a platform for stating the ills in the Nigerian society and proffering solutions to them, as in Anthills of Savanna and Strange Encounter.

The oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines realism as "a style of art or literature that shows things and people as they are in real life (971). On the other hand, Agho Jude in his book ; The Novel in Africa and Selected Discourses defines the Nigerian novel as "any extended narrative, not only written by an African, but which must be about Africa and Africans, conceived from an African point-of-view and reflecting an African worldview; (4). Also, in defining realism and the Nigerian novel, it is therefore defined as any long extended narrative which portrays Africans as they are real in life, bringing to light their ways of life, stating their challenges and probably helping to proffer solutions.

Chinua Achebe’s fiction is regarded as the supreme example of African literary realism, especially his novel Antills of Savanna (1987). Achebe’s fiction can also be described as historical realism, especially when he seeks to recover African past from its suppression in colonial discourse.

According to Onoge, realism in African literature can be further subdivided into critical realism and socialist realism. The first which is evident in the work of Chinua Achebe, Wale Okediran and a host of other African writers is principally characterized by an accurate description of the condition of modern Africa particularly Nigeria, but without proffering, a clear solution to the problems identified.

The Nigerian realist novel is a depiction of the socialist literature. The emergent literary and critical works show the dawn of a new literary phenomenon. Deconstructive critics such as Kwame Appiah argue that realism is the artistic expression of African nationalisms’ superficial resolution of the underlying difficulties facing Africa. What Appiah describes as post-realist is also part of the general trend referred to broadly as non-realist modes of representation, but more specifically as magical realism, the best example of which is Ben Okri’s The Famished Road (1990).

This type of writing, involves the deliberate violation of the conventions of realism, for instance, the transgression of the boundary between the real and the fantastic. Some critics feel uncomfortable about this label as it suggests African writing imitating alien forms. Others argue that the worldview depicted in such texts is inherent in contemporary African writings in which the elements of traditional Nigerian culture coexists with those of modernity. It is a way of emphasizing the indignity of the form that Harry Garuba substitutes it with the term ”animist realism”.

1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1. To review the realism as portrays in the Antills of the Savannah by Chinue Achebe and the Strange Encounters by Wale Okediran.

2. To examine the realistic depiction of cultural and political crises in the texts.

3. To compare the two text.

1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This related investigative literature is focused on realism in on two nigeria novels : Chinue Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah and Wale Okediran’s Strange Encounters.

1.4 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Realism: Realism as a literary theory or movement is associated with a realistic portrayal of life in a work of art. The novel has continued to arouse attention as a popular genre of literature. The author adopts a style of presenting an interesting story through the portrayal of life-like events and incidents in the story which is achieved through a proper manipulation of language to create a credible story.

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