Istoricizing and conceptualizing Albert Camus's dual perception of women in L'étranger and le Malentendu

Several studies have been published on the recurring themes of death, revolt, and the absurdity of life in Albert Camus's literary works. These works mostly refer to ambiguity or contradiction regarding some of his ideologies of life. Camus’s recognition of life’s limitations while celebrating it to its fullness and his ambiguous attitudes towards the concept of death comes to mind. But little literature has been recorded of his mindset towards women. This study explores the evolution of Camus's multiple notions about women. It is an attempt to evaluate the ambiguity of perception inherent in his literary creation regarding his relationship with women. Camus's opus indicates that loving" at a distance" offers some advantages to men in pursuit of idealistic goals in life. An affirmation of the above statement is the blend of allegiance and disconnection which characterized Camus's relationship with his mother. Using Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytic theory, the study posits that the disorienting or fluctuating limits in Camus’s characters manifested through Meurseult and Jan, demonstrates lingering challenges of human existence and a critical post-modern account of the absurdity of human condition. The study maintains that Camus's loyalty and detachment from women can be regarded as the paradigm of the rapport between man and society. This study's endgame is to, first, expose new perspective in Camus’s works, and then fill in the lacuna as well as to indicate a field of research of broader value in French literature

THE BITTER-HONEY NATURE OF TRADITIONAL MYTH PRACTICES IN SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA: THE CASE OF KABANGATENDE CULT OF OBUDU COSMOLOGY IN CROSS RIVER STATES

Every way of life, whether Asian, European or African, is traditional by nature. This corpus explores contradictions inherent in the traditional practice of the myth of the Kabangatendé cult of Obudu in Cross River State, Southern Nigeria. The myth presents an image of positive effects on human practitioners, leading to a consistent increase in money, social influence and political strength. It is also said to be a symbol of affluence, nobility, auspiciousness, success and prosperity with less effort. It is imperative to note that myths operate in diverse capacities. Some are authoritative and appear to have a compelling force of obedience on the people, while others are manipulated and their influence on custodians can be termed to befit situations. This study seeks to address the following questions: Is the Kabangatende cult a revolutionary myth that militates against human existence? Does this myth halt the economic, social and political transformation of its custodians? Or is it an artistic reality that favors literary aesthetics that in turn promote Obudu tradition? In an attempt to arrive at possible tentative responses to the interrogations raised, the paper hinges on Joseph Campbell’s theory of monomyth and other theories whereby empirical evidence will be drawn from ethnographic and historical research, interviews and observations. This study contributes in a better understanding on how traditional practices, with counter-productive tendencies notwithstanding, can be adhered to by the people

“ABSURDITY” OF ALBERT CAMUS’ THE PLAGUE IN POLITICS OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN NIGERIA: DOUBTFUL TRUTHS AND TRUTHFUL LIES ONCOVID-19 PANDEMIC

Humanity has been hit in recent times, by unusual mortality provoked by the emergence of COVID-19. A report of 21 March 2020 by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 22 cases of the dreaded virus in the country. Desperate times they say require desperate measures. Facing the pandemic, the leadership of Nigeria has been more political than practical. Citizens resort to divers’ self-medication thus: Bathing with well-boiled Dogo Yaro leaves (Neem leaves); excessive consumption of bitter kola (Garcinia kola) or ginger (Zingiber) and the excessive consumption of alcohol. This study seeks to assess the level of preparedness by the Nigeria National Health System to combat the further spread of COVID-19 as apparently predicted in 1947 by Albert Camus in his work, The Plague. Our work further seeks to ascertain to what extent these self-aids have proven to be the effective panacea. It employs the conspiracy theory to argue that Nigerian leaders give priority to wealth accumulation over public health.</jats:p