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Class Stratification, Poverty And Social Injustice: A Critical Analysis Of Festus Iyayi’sviolence And Olu Obafemi Wheels
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1.5 Research Methodology
The
methodology approach to be used for the effective analysis of this
study is the Marxist theory. This is because the Marxist theorist view
the society (especially capitalist society) as politically locked down
and hold the freedom of the people. They portray the suffering of the
masses in their literary texts and form their analysis and view point,
that the masses suffer as a result of corruption and stratification
which our leaders seem to always follow.
As most literary
texts written now discuss more on the political state of a society and
how political climate affects the economic structure of the society,
which is depreciating as a result of class stratification, poverty and
social injustice, the best approach pays more attention to the
exploitation, the oppressed and stratified and explains the labour
complexities been faced, which is the Marxist theory.
The
use of Marxist approach is justified as the two novelists whose work
shall be used as the data for analysis share the same ideological
approach which is Marxism.
1.6 FESTUS IYAYI ‘S BACKGROUND
Festus
Iyayi, born 1947, in Benin City is a Nigerian writer known for his
radical and sometimes tough stance on social and political issues. Iyayi
employs a radical style of writing, depicting the socio-political and
environmental system in which both the rich and poor live.
He was
born in Edo state, Nigeria. His family was from a humble background, but
instilled in him strong moral lessons about life. Iyayi started his
education at AnnunciationCatholicCollege in the old Bendel state
popularly known as ACC. On graduation in 1966; and in 1967 he went to
Government College Ughelli, graduating in 1968. In that same year he
became a zonal winner in a Kennedy Essay competition organise by the
United States Embassy in Nigeria. He left the shores of Nigeria to
pursue his higher education, obtaining M.Sc in Industrial Economics from
the Kievinstitute of Economics, in the former USSR and then his PhD
from the University of Bradford, England. In 1980, he came back to Benin
and became a lecturer in the Department of Business Administration at
the university, he became interested in radical social issues, and a few
years after his employment, He became the president of the local branch
of the Academic staff union of universities (ASUU), a radical unionist
known for his upfront style on academic and national issues. He rose to
the position of president of the national organisation of ASUU in 1986,
but in 1988, the union was briefly banned and Iyayi was detained. In
that same year he won the commonwealth prize for Literature for his book
Heroes. He was later removed from his faculty position. Today, Iyayi is
a member of different Nigeria literary organisations and works in the
private sector as a consultant.
His creative include Violence (1979), The Contract (1982), Heroes (1986), Awaiting Court Material,(1996).
1.7 OLU OBAFEMI ‘S BACKGROUND
OluObafemi
was born on April 4, 1950 in Akutupa-Bunu, Kogi State, Nigeria. He read
English at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. He is a Professor of
English and dramatic literature in the University of Ilorin, Ilorin,
Nigeria. He teaches literary criticism, theory and creative writing in
the university. He is a dramatist, poet, novelist a foremost Nigerian
scholar. Many of his published plays have been performed to audiences in
Nigerian and to African and international audiences in Kenya, Cameroon,
England and the United States.
Obafemi has won many academic
fellowships and awards. He was awarded the DAAD study visit to the
University of Bayreuth, Germany in 1993, 1994 and 1995. He was resident,
and Professor of English in Tennessee University of Technology, USA
from February to March, 2005. Professor Obafemi is a fellow of
Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) as well as a fellow of the Nigeria
Academy of Letters.
Obafemi has produced over thirty plays through
his university based theatre outfit, Ajon Players and the university
theatre workshop in Leeds. Some of his plays are Nights of a
Mystical,Beast, Suicide Syndrome, Naira Has No Gender and Dark Times are
over. He is also the author of Songs of Hope, a collection of poems,
and a novel titled Wheels. His scholarly works include Nigerian Writers
and the Nigerian Civil War and Contemporary Nigerian Theatre.
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