HUNGER AND WAITING IN THIRD WORLD LITERATURE

Using colonial discourse and post-colonial theory as a point of reference, this article takes a look at colonialism as experienced in the so-called third world and see how the experience has helped shaped the literary production of the countries and people so colonized. The study examines the British idea of 'Empire' and the colonial enterprise in a selected range of 20th-century texts, in an attempt to understand how imperialism affected literary texts produced in some former colonies particularly those in Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. Texts to be considered in this study include: Marquez’s No One Writes to the Colonel, Enroll John’s Moon on a Rainbow Shawl and Marechera’s House of Hunger. The study will be viewing a literature characterized by elements of the fantastic woven into the story. A literature that scrutinizes society to its basis by examining the postcolonial hangover, a literary trend that separates the literature of the “subject” from the literature of the “other

Gender, Literacy and the Society: A Discourse of Disparity in Some Selected Schools in Sokoto Metropolis, Nigeria

Gender today is interrogating almost every facet of human endeavour. It is part and parcel of any formal school system and the awareness of the importance of gender has made it possible for designers of school curriculum to include the issue of gender. Access to human potentialities is supposed to change the structure of the family, of work, of politics and of personal relations. So this paper views the society in its entirety, analyze some root courses of backwardness educationally of the state under discussion, appraise the level of its gender awareness and point out how these account for the level of literacy in the state. This paper therefore reviews the historical yardsticks of gender inequality in the state under discussion and argues that the challenges of poverty and lack of infrastructure evident in most parts of Nigerian towns and cities actually impact on the women folk partly because of the importance placed on the male gender in Nigerian society. The paper will want to also argue that the effect of underdevelopment of the womenfolk is not an exaggerated one and in this stead submits that reverberating societal values and systems of meaning that promote male dominance and demean the woman as the weaker breed, non-resistant appendage is also responsible for the condition of women in society today. The paper will also want to appraise the reason why the ills of underdevelopment are so evident on the women than the men. Applying a critical discourse this paper examines and argues that the construction of women, as weak, dirty, backward and poverty stricken harlots do not just reflect social challenges but are in fact a reflection of the historically specific systems of meaning which form the identities of women rather than the present global reality of rights, opportunities educationally and sociall

THE BURDEN OF CONFORMING TO CULTURE AND TRADITION: THE AFEMAI WOMAN’S EXPERIENCE.

Women are said to be builders of homes, they are the rockers of cradle(s), and they enrich a nation with their reproduction prowess. Women are also said to be lifters of their men’s spirit especially with their companionship, It is in this light that this paper attempts an understanding of the ways in which gender and its attendant problems impede on the social standing and general development of the woman in society. It pays particular attention to the Afemai women in Estakor of Edo state and interrogates the culture of the people of this area within the confines of gender and power relations Overall, the paper will address the gender question from the socio-cultural perspective. The paper uses observation through indirect participation and interview to gather information used in this research and some of the findings are embedded in the paper

DECONSTRUCTING THE MATERNAL TROPE: STRATEGIES FOR THE RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA

Nigeria, like most third world countries entered the 21st century saddled with the task of recouping the loses of the past decades and paving the way for sustainable social and economic development, of course with the problem of democratization of her institutions and processes which after forty-seven years is still very problematic. Very important to the average Nigerian is the challenge of keeping Nigeria one. The main trust of this paper therefore is the Nigerian woman in the face of conflict and what she can do to help curb it if she cannot out- rightly stamp it out of society. The paper will also explore the various tools at the woman’s disposal in achieving this great feat. While the glass ceiling and discrimination of the woman continue to pose formidable huddles to women’s participation in major issues in Nigeria, this paper examines the source of power imbalance in all areas of human endeavour for the Nigerian woman and takes a look at some of the groundbreaking roles women have played and are still playing to keep Nigeria one and strong. The paper in these light shows a society in which women are not accorded great respect or value and then only as long as they adhere to the narrow strictures of their society just because they have no means to change the course of events. One hope for any change in this society is seen in the efficacy of education and how the woman is able to harness this to her benefit and that of her society in general

Re-evaluating female inferiority: The image of Women in Habila’s Waiting for an Angel and Agary’s YellowYellow

This paper reviews the historical yardsticks for gender inequality in Habila’s Waiting for an Angel and Agary’s Yellow Yellow and argues that the challenges of environmental degradation, poverty and lack of infrastructure evident in most parts of Nigerian towns and cities have a great impact on the women folk. The purported exaggerated effect of underdevelopment on women in the novel is discursive, the reverberating societal values and systems of meaning that promote male dominance and demean the woman as the weaker breed, and non-resistant appendage is also looked into. Based on these, questions such as ‘Why are the ills of underdevelopment so evident on the women than the men’ are asked. Applying a critical discourse analytical paradigms of gender studies which views the woman as the “other” in society, this paper examines the discursive roles of women in the novels and argues that the construction of women as cigarette-smoking delinquents and poverty stricken harlots do not just reflect social challenges but are in fact a reflection of the historically specific systems of meaning which form the identities of women rather than the present global reality of rights, opportunities and sufferings

MADNESS AS A SIGNIFIER: A STUDY OF DORIS LESSING’S BRIEFING FOR A DESCENT INTO HELL

Based on Michel Foucault’s idea of the power/knowledge relationship reflecting a sense of cultural criticism of the modern world, this paper investigates the issue of madness as a signifier in Briefing for a Descent into Hell, challenging the status quo of culture from all aspects, socio-political, medical, historical perspectives. How does one define madness or insanity? One can attempt a definition by contrasting the term with the definition which recognizes one who has lost all sense of self and the society or culture that produces the so-called insane. The issue of madness in modern fiction often expresses itself in crisis and transgression of the cultural establishment. In Briefing for a Descent into Hell, Doris Lessing suggests a possible “brave new world” in a madman’s “inner space.” By juxtaposing Charles Watkins’s “real” world and his “dream” world, the author criticizes such cultural institutions as hospitals and universities, the society in which the insane lives, the depravity, the insanity and the violence of the time which makes it almost impossible for one to reason appropriately. The multiple realities in the novel are not just designed for narrative purposes, but to ridicule the absurdity of what the society terms “reality,” In this respect, this study will be examining the representation of “madness” in Briefing for a Descent into Hell as a signifier as well as a cultural malaise

WOMANHOOD UNDER THE MAGNIFYING GLASS: A LOOK AT INSANITY AMONG WOMEN IN AFRICAN LITERATURE AND SOCIETY

Every society has its own challenges and aspirations, but how these are handled makes a lot of difference. The approach to issues, the nature of the issues and the outcome of such issues are very crucial to the development and peace of the society. Africa as a Third World continent so to say has come a full circle with the good, the bad and the ugly just like any other continent of the world. The difference with Africa’s case may be the nature and approach to problems plaguing the continent. Africa is blessed with both natural and human resources---especially with crude oil and other mineral resources and a huge population. The continent is vast in land mass; she is blessed with good climatic condition, vibrant soil suitable for agriculture and a lot more. Yet the continent is under developed. This paper attempts an appraisal of issues that may have accounted for this underdevelopment over the years by looking at the position of mad women in this society and what would have been their contributions, economically, socially and politically to the development of the continent. Using the theory of “otherness” signifying exclusion as propounded by Simone de Beauvior, the paper brings out the plight of these “unwanted” in society and evaluates what they are worth in literary texts and in the society

“YESTERDAY YOU WERE DIVOICED. TODAY I AM A WIDOW”: AN APPRAISSAL OF WIDOWHOOD PRACTICES AND THE EFFECTS ON THE PSYCHE OF WIDOWS IN AFRICA.

Widowhood is a reality for as long as people are born and people die. Widows are found in every community but in Africa, the experience of the widow is such that women dread to be widows. In Africa, widows go through a lot of hardship that stems from the society, the husband’s family and from tradition. This paper tries to look at the nature of the woman, see how this subscribes to the treatment she receives in society especially in her time of grief and loss. This paper will focus on the plight of widows in some communities in Africa and how gender and its attendant problems impede on the woman’s social standing and general development in society. In looking at the issue of widowhood in Africa, the reference point will be Mariama Ba’s novel, So Long a Letter where the paper will be addressing how the African woman handles widowhood and how the African society sees the widow. From study, it is observed that the term “Widowhood” has not really attracted much criticism in African Literature. In this sense, this paper will be examining some feminist theories in an attempt to adequately appraise this situation