Abstract: This study was on Social Stratification Poverty and Social Injustices in Ngugi’s Petals of Blood and Iyayi’s Violence. In line of the two author’s point of view, the novels show clear social stratification and poverty among the poor masses. Unlike Kenyan famous writer, Ngugi Wa Thiong, Iyayi exposes how the poor in the novel are struggling for survival by selling their labour to the capitalist in order to earn a living. In the same vein, there is a clear depiction of patriarchal and sexist values in Iyayi’s Violence. For example, it portrays how Adisa, the wife of Idemudia, Unintentionally submits herself to sexual humiliation in order to get money to settle her husband’s hospital bills. In another instance, Idemudia and his colleagues are grossly exploited as manual labourers while off-loading cement bags and as workers with building contractors. The above clearly portrays a clear social stratification, poverty and injustice faced by the poor in our Nigerian society with reference to the characters in Iyayi’s Violence.
Social Stratification Poverty and Social Injustices in Ngugi’s Petals of Blood and Iyayi’s Violence
Ngugi in his fiction reflects the concern for the poor Kenya who has been displaced by Whites colonialists and by African opportunists who seized power after independence. In Petals of Blood for instance, he portrayed a scathing critique of capitalism and accuses wealthy landowners and bureaucrats of exploiting the poor and the working classes. From the foregoing, one can affirm that the two authors should be appreciated for their social commitment towards the poor and how the society should look like. In the same vein, their novels provide a new African voice about the happenings in African societies.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
This study aims to portray the social to stratification, poverty and injustices in Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s Petals of Blood and Festus Iyayi’s Violence. Though Ngugi and Iyayi are among the Africa’s profile writers so no discussion on the historical relevance of Africa’s fiction can be completed without mentioning their names and their works of art. For instance, Festus Iyayi has been observed as one of the most powerful voices in contemporary Nigerian literary scene. His writings are distinctly characterised for directness of social injustices, exploitation and societal and national interests.
As a socialist, Iyayi explores the nature of the Nigerian society in various ramifications from political to the economic exploitation of the poor and marginalised the lower social class members of the society. For instance, Iyayi portrays to the Nigerian society how the poor are exploited in the socio-political structure…and how these poor masses pass through various social injustices and domination by the upper class citizens…who are the rich. To bring out the poverty, social injustice, inequality, deprivation, exploitation, degradation and object conditions of the working class Iyayi strikingly defines the difference and significance of the working class through characters, such as, Idemudia, Osaro, Patrick Mama and Papa Jimoh and other as well as the affluence represented by Obofun, Queen and others. For example, due to poverty Adisa, the wife of Idemudia, unintentionally submits herself to sexual humiliation in order to get money to settle her husband’s hospital bill. In the same vein, “Idemudia and comrades even have to sell some pints of blood in order to survive” (253).
The analysis portrays a clear picture of how the masses suffer in our Nigerian in the hands of the rich. On the other hand, Ngugi is one of the famous Kenyan writers whose writings dramatise how the people of Kenya are exploited. In Petals of Blood, Ngugi portrays a comprehensive analysis and the evils that are perpetrated during the independence Kenya …and how the native people Kenya were exploited and humiliated in the hands of the colonial masters in Petals of Blood because of colonialism. Consequently these form the bedrock to this research work with a view of examining the social stratification, poverty and social injustices experienced by the poor masses in the post-colonial Kenya and Nigeria in Ngugi’s Petals of Blood and Iyayi’s Violence.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The research study seeks to foreground the social stratification, exploitation, social injustice and poverty in the two novels under study.
Social Stratification Poverty and Social Injustices in Ngugi’s Petals of Blood and Iyayi’s Violence
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the research study is to analyse the social stratification, poverty, and social injustices in Ngugi’s Petals of Blood and Iyayi’s Violence
1.4 Significance of the Study
The study will be significant to the readers of this research and government in particular, in order to look into the issues of social injustices that the poor pass through in the hands of the bourgeoisies. The study will also be of great importance to students of literature and also serve as a reference material to researchers who would like to investigate or research more on the writings of Ngugi and Iyayi.
1.5 Research Methodology
The primary method of this study will focus on the two selected novels in this study, while the secondary sources of the work will examine novels from the library, African critical literary texts, internet and articles for more information on the research work.
