Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Significance of the Study
1.5 Objectives of the Study
1.6 Research Methodology
1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
1.8 Bio- Data of Chris Egbarevba
CHAPTER TWO
Review of Related Literature
CHAPTER THREE: POVERTY AND VIOLENCE IN CHRIS EGBAREVBA’S CANOPY OF THUNDER
3.1 Analysis of Chris Egbarevba’s Canopy of Thunder
3.2 Themes in Chris Egbarevba’s Canopy of Thunder
3.3 Styles in Chris Egbarevba’s Canopy of Thunder
3.4 Characterization in Chris Egbarevba’s Canopy of Thunder
CHAPTER FOUR: POVERTY AND VIOLENCE IN CHRIS EGBAREVBA’S THE LABOURER’S BLOOD
4.1 Analysis of Chris Egbarevba’s The Labourer’s Blood
4.2 Themes in Chris Egbarevba’s The Labourer’s Blood
4.3 Styles in Chris Egbarevba’s The Labourer’s Blood
4.4 Characterization in Chris Egbarevba’s The Labourer’s Blood
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
Works Cited
Abstract
This research work examines corruption and violence in Festus Iyayi’s Violence and Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People. The study has revealed that Festus Iyayi and Chinua Achebe belong to different generations of Nigerian writers who see corruption, violence and socio-cultural conflicts in our Nigerian societies as the result of misleading and corrupt practices of political leaders in our contemporary Nigerian society.
The study also shows that Nigerian societies are faced with political conflict, political disillusionment and political oppression because of mal-administration, dictatorship and excessive socio-political conflicts imposed by the corrupt leaders.
The study therefore recommends good literature novels with good moral lessons to be exposed to the learners on the effects of corruption and violence in our Nigerian society and Africa at large.
The authors’ views are equally established with the hope of an end goal of finding solutions that will take Africa out of the shackles of corruption, violence poverty and inequality.
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
CHAPTER TWO
THE REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Chris Egharevba is one of the Marxist writers in Nigerian literature whose novels portray how the poor masses in the society experiences exploitation, deprivation, intimidation, marginalization, suppression, dehumanization by the corrupt exploitative leaders. It is also cumbersome for one to review his writings individually.
For instance, Ayo Kehinde sees Egharevba’s The Canopy of Thunder as a novel that focuses on the ugly situation of betrayal of public confidence, administrative bureaucracy, highly decadent and socially stratified society that breeds and nurtures exploitation and oppression of the less privileged in the society (230).
Critically, the novel exposes effects of betrayal and exploitation of the masses by the ruling class. In support of the above, critic like Ogbeide opines that, Egharevba portrays Honourable Adams as a minority leader who promiscuous behaviours irritates Nosa who believes that the money Honourable Adams spends on harlots and the hiring of exorbitant hotels could be re-channelled to anchor the poverty rate of the masses (39).
Furthermore, Egharevba’s critics offer some remarkable observation on the situation in the Nigerian society. Some emphasises Egharevba’s insight in re-enacting the social conflict, political exploitation and socio-political disillusionment in the Nigerian society, allowing himself not to be overwhelmed by the obnoxious social predicaments, but instead evaluates them and exposes the readers to the plight of the masses in the society.
Quoting from the Ghanaian writer Ayi Armah who writes that, man is regarded in Africa as primarily a spiritual being, a being endowed originally with certain in-ward dignity, integrity and value (23).
From the foregoing, it is clear that Egharevba is a virtuous writer. He is a well-known Marxist writer who employs the doctrine of the Marxist ideology into his writings. His choice of words, phrases, clauses and sentences clearly portrays his beliefs and ideological leanings by promoting the image of the Africans.
In the same vein, writer like Akaana Tethyemba states that Chris Egharevba’s novels explore the effects of exploitation on the lives of the poor and the pains they undergo because of unemployment market in the society, the labourers have no alternative than to stay and endure all the indignities of dehumanization.
He also expresses his disgust for both the foreign and local exploiters. Egharevba’s optimism that despite the influence of capitalism of individuals should have the capacity to forgive and organize themselves (6).
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
No doubt, Egharevba’s novels portray effects of joblessness, sexual exploitation, the capitalist system with its exploitation tendencies; it reveals the contemporary situation of the Nigerian system. He also demonstrates great measure of radicalism with Marxist favour in his literary works. On the other hand, writer like Nnolim Charles argues that:
It is now common place knowledge that contemporary Africa literature cannot be properly understood and appreciated as an isolated expression but must rather be viewed as part the totality of human experience. As a literature of a people, it cannot be fully understood by the simple separation of form and content, for literature is part of a social situation and must be approached primary as a mode of collective belief and action(1).
What Nnolim opines is that the dynamism between literature and the society pave ways for possible reconciliation in Egharevba’s work of art. It also simply means that there are dynamics and complex development in Nigerian history including its social and cultural formation; Nigerian literature could still be explored and understood as a unified and coherent experience.
He further posits that the story of European encounter with Africa, will never be complete in our literature until its ramifications are traced by our literary artist from that initial break-up of our culture, which Chinua Achebe so splendidly recreated in Things Fall Apart and Ngugis Wa Thiongo’s tracing of those oppressive elements inherited by African from the departing Europeans and perpetrated by them as neo-colonist African stooges in their disadvantaged follow Africans, as recreated in best novel Petals of Blood (29).
Nnolim’s view is on the link between the artist and the society in which Egharevba is both voice and a social mediator of his society.
Based on the above views, Egharevba’s writing focuses on the issues of injustice, oppression, exploitation and sexual exploitation in the Nigerian society. His writings also expose how the oppressed can be conscious and disillusioned with their present state and march in solidarity to revolt against the oppressive class.
The above consequently makes Niyi Osundane to states that: we need the works of Marx, the works of Lenin and Fanon because their works pictured the things that were true about our position and of course, these things influenced what we wrote eventually in our literary works (79).
Furthermore, Egherevba uses interesting and peculiar techniques in his novels which make his novels to depict reality and to condemn the oppression of the masses which is rampant in the capitalist state like Nigeria.
Chidi Amuta for instance sees Egherevba as a novelist who implies exactly what the poor goes through and how they are exploited by their employers. He went further states that the peasantry worker sometimes dies in pain and in poverty due to exploitation, oppression, humiliation and disillusionment.
This instance is seen in The Labourer’s Blood where Odia and his wife Iyobosa suffer in pains and poverty impose on them by Obazee(1). It is this typical condition that Egherevba’s writings portrayed how the poor Nigerians are maltreated and exploited by their employers and the political leaders that fail to provide the needs of the poor masses.
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Moreover, Egharevba has been able to dramatize his Marxist ideology on how a vehement collective struggle through acts of violence, could unseat the bourgeoisie in order to reorder the society along the Marxists socialist principles and practice.
Ayinde Keyinde states that, Egharevba ignites the spirit of nationalism and raises social consciousness with a view to neutralizing the pervasive corruption in Nigeria (11). Again, Tunde Fatunde opines that, Egharevba’s novels focuses on corruption, the themes of injustice, exploitation and disillusionment in the Nigerian political system.
From the above, Egharevba is truly a creative writer whose writings expose the themes of contemporary nature in Nigeria.
Essentially, his writings talks about poverty and exploitation that are rampant in the society of Nigeria and as consequences of the neo-colonialism; a condition occasioned by the selfishness of the nation’s leaders who have, instead of stamping on the much concern and the independence of the masses, the rather take over the shadows of the colonial masters and even made things worse for their own people.
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
Poverty and Violence in Chris Egbarevba Canopy of Thunder and the Labourers Blood
