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.
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 Godflashes 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 Godand 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 Godbecause
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 Savannahcarries
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. IfArrow of God adopts a recognizable setting, Anthills of the Savannahis
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 Godand 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 Godand 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.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
· Linguistics - Scientific study of language
· Stylistics - Author peculiar way of writing
· Pidgin - Non-standard English usage in Nigeria
· Mother of Tongue -Immediate language of a child