Socio-Political Satire in Tewfik Al- Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach and Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Satire in African literature has been in existence for a long period of time. It is also a fashionable tool used by playwrights, critics and various individuals in reforming societies which are engulfed in socio-political conflict, social, religious and moral decadence as well as attacking unwholesome attitudes of man and society as a whole.

It has also been defined differently from both male and female writers and critics of African literature. For instance, a writer like Vaughan defines satire as “a mode of writing that utilizes with humour to criticize or ridicule human’s behaviours with the view of correction and improvement” (208). Based on Vaughan’s definition of satire, one can see to it that satire is a tool use by writers to portrays and criticize some negative and positive behaviour of people in a particular society.

Moody on the other hand sees satire as “any form of writing which is deliberately and humorously critical in intention” (76). From Moody’s definition, satire is a form of writing that is deliberately use by a writer with humour investigating human’s intention.In the same vein, Bloom says that satire is a work that portrays social vices and crimes committed by men or individuals of different class of people in the society (49).The above definitions of satire are by no means exhaustive since different writers continue to define it the way it suits their purpose.

It is also obvious that satire is a prominent tool in African drama. It has been used by various African playwrights to reflect, expose and unveil the anomalies in their societies. For instance, the Egyptian writer Tewfik El Hakim in his play Fate of a Cockroach satirizes what exists in most African homes, where a wife takes over the mantle of leadership from the husband as a result of the husband’s weakness or inability to control the home.

This situation is seen as abnormal in African homes and it is compared to what obtains in the ‘cockroaches’ world. In the same vein, Zulu Sofola’s The Wedlock of the Gods criticizes most African parents who use their daughters to amass wealth at the expense of the children’s happiness.

It is on the above concern the researcher aimed at investigating the Socio-Political Satire in Tewfik Al- Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach and Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again.

Socio-Political Satire in Tewfik Al- Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach and Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The statement of this study proposes the fact that, Satire is one of the potent weapons use by playwrights for societal change because it mocks, attacks, criticizes ridicules and exposes the follies and anomalies existing in human societies with the aim of sanitizing them. This is why these playwrights have carefully recorded the societal issues like socio-political problems, vices and anomalies prevalent in the contemporary African society.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to analyse the Socio-Political Satire in Tewfik Al- Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach and Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again. The study will also portray the effectiveness of satire as a tool for reforming the society.

1.4  Significance of the study

The study will significant to the entire African societies as the writings of these two playwrights will help to eradicate the socio-political problems like political disillusionment, domination and patriarchal domination in the society. The study will also portrays and eliminate the foolish attitudes of people in government offices and lovers of literature.

In the same vein, the study will equip more knowledge to students of English and literature showing how literature mirrors what goes around in every society of the world.

Socio-Political Satire in Tewfik Al- Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach and Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again

1.5       Objectives of the study

The following are the objectives of the study:

(i) to portrays the main issue of Socio-Political Satire in Tewfik Al- Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach and Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again.

(ii) to investigate the  authors’ aims of writing the two plays under investigation with reference to socio-political satire

(iii) to provide solution to the issue of Socio-Political Satire in Africansocieties

1.6 Research Methodology

This study shall depend largely on primary and secondary sources. The primary sources will include Tewfik Al- Hakim’s Fate of a Cockroach and Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again. The secondary sources shall depend on textbooks, Journals and materials from the internet will also be used in this study.

Originally posted on April 26, 2021 @ 10:32 am