ABSTRACT
Literary style, the meeting point between literary criticism and
linguistic analysis, is the focus of this project. The study demonstrates the
viability of collaboration between principles of the two approaches.
Focusing on two novels of the world-acclaimed African novelist, Chinua
Achebe, the project suggests that even when a writer's stylistic inclinations
are recognizable, each literary work is at the same time a product of peculiar
thematic, social and discursive situations, which are inevitably reflected in
its stylistic features.
It concentrates on such levels of linguistic analysis as lexis, semantics
and graphology, while privileging allusion, setting and symbolism as elements
of literary explication relevant to the comparative study of Achebe's style(s)
in his early and contemporary novels.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Chapter
One: Introduction 1
1.0 Background
to the Study 2
1.1 Statement
of the Problem 5
1.2 Purpose
of the Study 5
1.3
Significance
of the Study 6
1.4
Delimitation
of the Study 6
1.5
Research
Methodology 6
1.6
Definition
of Terms 7
Chapter
Two: Literature Review 8
2.0
The
Concept of African Literature 8
2.1
Pre
- Colonial African Literature 8
2.2
Colonial
African Literature 10
2.3
Post
- Colonial African Literature 12
2.4
Language
and Culture Connection 13
2.5
Linguistics
Stylistics 16
Chapter
Three: Data Presentation and Data
Analysis 18
3.0
Introduction
18
3.1
Biography
of Chinua Achebe 18
3.2
Chinua
Achebe as a Novelist 19
3.3
Review
of Arrow of God 23
3.4
Review
of Anthill of Savannah 30
3.5
The
Settings of the Novels 33
3.6
Linguistics
Analysis of Arrow of God 39
3.7
The stylistics of Achebe's Novels 45
Chapter
four: Summary, Recommendation and conclusion 51
4.1 Summary
51
4.2 Recommendation
51
4.3 Conclusion
52
Reference 53
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
There is no denying the fact that
time, place and the linguistic environment that generate a text determine, to a
very large extent, the linguistic choices available to a writer. This hints at the correlation between a
people’s culture (including the languages spoken) and the literary works
emerging from the society. In this regard,
African writers can be said to be confronted with a great task in representing
in English, experiences and realities that are peculiar to Africa given the
complex linguistic milieu in which they operate. Emmanuel Ngara’s (1982:19) view in this
regard is relevant. He maintains that
“the African writer’s position is a complex one. His chosen tongue is not his own, neither is
it his own people’s language. His
society has its own linguistic system with its own prejudices and world views
while his chosen language reflects those of its native speakers.” Chinua Achebe is a foremost Nigerian
writer. He has, to date, published five
novels, namely Things Fall Apart (1958), No Longer at Ease (1960),
Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966) and Anthills
of the Savannah (1988). Both Things
Fall Apart and Arrow of God are set in the
past. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe
presents a balanced picture of the traditional Igbo Society and that of Africa
by extension.
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Arrow of God flashes back to Things
Fall Apart. It deals
with a period in Igbo history when the old and new values co-existed. No Longer at Ease is
set in the period immediately preceding pre-independence in Africa. It
reflects a stage in Igbo society when progress was measured by Christianity and
Western education, and value was placed on the occupation of positions vacated
by whitemen as independence drew near. Achebe portrays in the novel a society
that is "infused by its multiplicity of races and of values, and by the
bewildering search for a workable compromise" (Emenyonu 1987: xix). Arrow
of God and Anthills of the Savannah, that are studied in this ~
are set in post-independence Africa.
Achebe's writings bear traits of his society while still communicating in
a second language. The experiences he reflects relate to the customary
practices of his people, the Igbo of Eastern Nigeria 1be immediate exigencies
of intelligibility and realistic representation would therefore determine the
language he adopts. A multilingual context often demands the integration of
languages or dialects. It is natural then that Igbo, the mother tongue of the
writer and that of most of his characters., should feature in Achebe's texts,
especially when such traditional practices as story-telling, as we have in
Anthills of the Savannah, are to be encountered. Proverbs, communal
properties in traditional African societies, equally condition the
communicative process m this context.
When Achebe reports life in Igbo society, he integrates into English the
Igbo similes, wise sayings, proverbs, riddles, songs and other traditional art
features. Proverbs, in particular, constitute the spine of language use in
(traditional) Igbo society. The Igbo describe it as 'the palm oil with which
words are eaten'. In the words of Ernest Emenyonu (1987: 156), the proverb
"serves to emphasize and deepen the force of what is said ... and [also]
allows intent to emerge without having to resort to bare and blunt words".
For the Igbo man, it is absolutely impossible to display it, wisdom and skills
in language use without a good knowledge of proverbs. The linguistic situation
is further complicated by the existence of Pidgin English which a large number
of people in the society adopt.
Anthills of the
Savannah provide
a logical sequel to Arrow of God because it focuses on a
phase in the political development of Africa when politicians had been replaced
by 'corrective' military regimes. It
explores tile climate of mis-governance,
opportunism and alienation which marks this phase, using the fictitious West
African state of Kangan as the focus. It also prescribes radical reformism. The
story is told by multiple narrative voices, ranging from the first person
point of view of Chris and Ikem to the third-person point of view.
Consequently, there is an inconsistency that hinders
comprehension on the part of the reader. The story begins Oft the note 1hat a military government assumes power following a coup in Kangan.
Sam, as the Head of the State is called,
then becomes the leader while also assuming the title of president. He
surrounds himself with
schoolmates and friends. But he soon
begins to suspect them and this degenerates into a chaotic situation. But he
soon begins to suspect them and this degenerates into a chaotic situation. Like any typical African leader, he sets the
security machinery in motion to apprehend the 'subversive elements' in the
midst of growing social discontent and mounting tension among the radical
student-activists.
The positive portrait of women in the story aligns with the radical
inclination of Achebe in the novel. It is possible to establish a link between
Achebe's concerns in the two novels. While Arrow of God mirrors tile
disappointment of the period immediately after independence, which necessitated
the intervention of the military, Anthills
of the Savannah carries this indictment to the present by
denouncing the failure of the military which has
been aided by the self-seeking, educated elite. What we therefore have in his
latest novel is merely a reiteration of an old problem. If Arrow of God adopts a recognizable setting, Anthills of the Savannah is set in a fictitious West African
State. This makes the relevance of the story transcend a particular
socio-political environment as it depicts the dilemma of emergent African
states in general. Ojinma (1990: 90)
suggests that "Achebe's Anthills
of the Savannah scrutinizes what the military in power in the new
nations of Africa, who came ostensibly to correct the political excesses and
muddles of the civilian politicians ... to clear up the men left behind by the
corrupt civilian government that preceded them, are making of their intervention".
It has been necessary to establish this link between the texts because they
were written at different times. This could then be sufficient background
insight into the texts as we proceed to provide some information on linguistic
stylistics.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
Africa, as an exotic place filled with "unknowable" people, has
figured prominently in European literature and in the European imagination.
Achebe has distinguished himself as a writer
by presenting Africa from an African perspective and by pointing out the ways
in which European cultural prejudices have affected not only the way Africa and
Africans have been portrayed in literature and popular culture, but how Africa
and Africans have been treated by imperial powers.
This research work intends to analytically compare Chinua Achebe's early
and current literary works using the stylistics study of Arrow of God and Anthills of Savannah.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The main purpose of this study will be to compare the early literary
works of Chinua Achebe to his current literary works taking into consideration
the stylistic approach(s) he used in both literary works.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
Chinua Achebe has been considered as one of the fathers of literature in
Nigeria. This study therefore, intends to research into the stylistic approach
of the man, Chinua Achebe, used in these books, Arrow of God and Anthills of Savannah.
This study also aims at helping other researchers who intend to research
further on this work and other books by Chinua Achebe know the current trends
in literary works of New Nigerian writers
vis-a-vis pioneer Nigerians writers' literary products.
1.5 DELIMINATION
OF THE STUDY
This research work will be limited to two books of Chinua Achebe. Namely:
1.
Arrow of God
2.
Anthills of Savannah
1.6 RESEARCH
METHODOLGY
Since this research is basically on the stylistics of Achebe's Arrow
of God and Anthills of the
Savannah, aiming at
bringing to the fore areas of similarities and differences, the research
methodology will largely be in the domain of discourse analysis, linguistic and
stylistic analyses of the two texts. In order
words, the research methodology of this project will not involve the use of
questionnaire, interviews etc. All the textual samples derived from the texts
will be subjected to linguistic, stylistic and discourse analyses.
Login To Comment