ABSTRACT: This research work exposes Corruption and Exploitation in Wole Soyinka’s the Road and Chinua Achiebe’s Anthills of the Savannah. The study portrays the evils committed against the poor by the rich social class in our contemporary Nigerian society. Such evils according to these writers are exploitation, deprivation, intimidation, suppression, humiliation and corruption in high places which are committed against people of lower classes as depicted in the two novels. The study also exposes the political and economic pains in Nigeria people of lower classes pass through as a result of exploitation and corruption by the ruling class. The exploitation and corruption were so pronounced that the novelists create characters that suffer so much pain and humiliation because of the political and economic situation they find themselves. Hence, they resorted to violence as a means of getting at their exploiters. To the novelists, Nigerians need to come together to fight as a force to liberate themselves from the clutches of exploitation and corruption imposed on them by those in power. The study concludes that Nigerian writers should expand the horizon of their creative arts on the concept of exploitation, violence and socio cultural conflicts in the country.
Corruption and Exploitation in Wole Soyinka’s the Road and Chinua Achiebe’s Anthills of the Savannah
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Literature is an imaginative piece of work. Thus, unlike historical records parliamentary documents and other forms of ordinary language use, literature is a fictional representation o1 the world of consciousness. Moreover, African Writers become moral conscious of what is happening in their society, under certain historical, social, cultural and political circumstances. Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe are among these creative writers who represent their individual experiences and the collective experiences of their societies in their writings. Their literary works provide an in-depth depiction of corruption, poverty, exploitation, social, religious, economic and political outlook of Nigerian society.
Their works also portray socio-political conflict, corruption, exploitation, poverty and corrupt leaders. Soyinka’s The Road for instance portrays the negative side of corruption, material, economic and religious corruption. He therefore used his work as a medium to lambaste and lash out at these human ticks.
Similarly, Achebe in Anthills of the Savannah addresses the problems of Nigeria alter her independence and criticizes the Nigerian politicians and administrators because of their wrong policies and the spread of corruption in every field of life in Nigeria. To describe this atmosphere in postcolonial Nigeria, Achebe also makes use of the symbols and images efficiently in his novel in order to show the extent of corruption in Nigeria.
It is on the above context this research work explores the theme of corruption and exploitation in Wole Soyinka’s The Road and Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The statement of this study proposes the fact that the Nigerian government is surrounded by mediocrities. Government functionaries are in the rat race for wealth. Personal aggrandizement gives room for exploitation and bad governance in Nigeria. This corroborates the p int that Nigerian political leaders have little to offer, and less dividends of democracy to deliver. Politics in Nigeria is not a game for gentlemen. It is characterized by so many ugly activities openly and secretly full of exploitation, corruption, oppression and nepotism.
Unfortunately, the Nigerian politicians and leaders have deliberately, systematically and methodically destroyed all the fabrics of the Nigerian socio-formation to the extent that an immensely gullible and psychologically brutalized followership has been created. The above consequently forms the statement of this research.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this research work is 1o discuss the corruption and exploitation in Wole Soyinka’s The Road and Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah. The study wills also examine and proper solution to these issues of corruption and exploitation in our Nigerian society.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The study will be significant in the following ways: the works of Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe will be beneficial to students of English and Literary studies by exposing them on the problems of corruption and exploitation in African society. The study will be of benefits to other researchers in related fields as they will find this study as a reference material for further research work.
Corruption and Exploitation in Wole Soyinka’s the Road and Chinua Achiebe’s Anthills of the Savannah
1.5 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study are:
- to examine the causes of corruption and exploitation the novels under investigation
- to investigate the aims and purpose Soyinka and Achebe’s writing in Nigerian literature.
- to examine and proper solutions to these problems and the causes of corruption, exploitation violence political disillusionment in our Nigerian politics.
