Satire in Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and The Jewel and Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again

SATIRE IN WOLE SOYINKA’S THE LION AND THE JEWEL AND OLA ROTIMI’S OUR HUSBAND HAS GONE MAD AGAIN 

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

Africa is a continent blessed with both human and material resource. Although it is however ironical to note that all that the Africans have been blessed with are not put into proper use by the various leaders of the different African countries.

Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian born writer seems to satirizes the luxurious lifestyle of the Nigerian leaders at the expense of the economy of Nigeria and decides to portray it in the text entitle, The lion and the Jewel to ridicule the Nigerian leaders.

Ola Rotimi set outs to portray in Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again the Nigerian Political landscape and corruption. Ola Rotimi uses his text to expose societal ills in the society, gender inequality and power relations in the text.

Before contact with the whites, West African society was cohesive. Africans were their brother’s keepers. The advents of western civilization change the communal spirit in African State. After independence, when the mantle of leadership fell on Africans themselves, the status quo was maintained.

This wholesome transformation of Africa has attracted the attention of some creative literary artists among who are Wole Soyinka and Ola Rotimi who in their literary creations mirrored these canker worms which now eat deep into the fabric of our common existence as a corporate entity.

Satire in Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and The Jewel and Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again 

1.2       Statement of the Problem

In our society today, many people are diverting from doing the right thing. Most youths and adults are corrupt and they are addicted to bad morals which destroy the society which the live in, most at time as a result of trying to attain certain political power. Now a day’s most politicians use indirect way to make people vote for them during elections. It can also be seen in our society today that most leaders of the society collect money from people to give them what they do not merit. Due to these factors, it has call for concern which prompted the researcher to embark on this research work.

1.3       Purpose of the Study

The objectives of this research are:-

(i)                             To showcase the use of satire as a tool for change in Nigeria as portrayed in these two texts.

(ii)                           To highlight the impact of these problems on individuals in Nigeria.

(iii)                         To showcase the conflicts between old and new, western and traditional cultures. 

1.4       Significance of the Study

This study will contributed to the knowledge about the negative change affecting the society. It will also examine how the authors have addressed the issues of this change in the texts that affect the society that they live in. the study is also significant because it exposes the change in Nigerian thereby helping the leaders or reader to learn and avoid the problems of the past leaders in the society.

1.5       Research Methodology

The methodology that is used in this work is the library research method. The primary research method is applied to the texts under investigation while the secondary research method centres on the critical works and books, journals and magazines from the library. Then the internet source will be used in order to facilitate the use of modern materials through browsing.

1.6       Scope and Limitation of the Study

This research centers on the two texts of the project. This enables the research to concentrate on the detailed analysis of the two texts and explication of the concept of the use of satire for change in the country. Moreover, for purpose of convenience, the research is limited in scope to the primary texts in other to facilitate the timely completion of the work as stipulated by the authority.