1.1 Introduction
Wole Soyinka’s The Beatification of Area Boy and Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again by Ola Rotimi are plays that demands creative proficiency in recreating the required environment on stage. The Beatification of Area Boy is one of such works, which demand creative proficiency in recreating the required environment on stage. In The Beatification of an Area Boy, one of such ethical implications is corruption and its trappings. In this play, Soyinka examines the insidious influence of a polluted environment on the human mind as well as on human relations. He attempts to explain that an unhealthy environment debases human reasoning and emotions. The play features the disruptions kindled by imperialism, industrial capitalism, and underdevelopment on communities deeply rooted in the land and attached to a particular territory.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Wole Soyinka hails from the Yoruba land in the Southern part of Nigeria. He is a Nobel laureate and has written in all genres of literature (prose, poetry, and drama). He uses his works as an instrument for social mobilization and change. Wole Soyinka as a democrat believes in an egalitarian society that is a society where everybody should be answerable to the law and justice is met out without considering the class of the individual. In fact, he believes in a society where there should be no class at all. Everybody should have equal rights in all ramifications.
Although, Soyinka is not much of a politician but those years in his country when absolute power was in the hands of the military he was not at ease because his dream society was not guaranteed under such leadership.
Soyinka abhors the intrusion of military into politics of a country. He finds military in politics contrary to the constitutional duty and argues that the provision of security for the nation as a whole is their duty. He sees the military as leaders without a mandate and as a threat to personal essence and his dream society. He wants changes during the reign of the military and employs his writing toward this end. Soyinka uses satire to bring out the ills of the society and his ideas to bring a desired change.
Ola rotimi hails from the Yoruba land in the Southern part of Nigeria. He has written a great deal of work whose thematic preoccupations are of tremendous literary social significance. He has contributed immensely to the development of African literature especially in the areas of African drama and theatre and a lot of critical attention has been paid to his works by both African and European critics. Ola Rotimi’s mode of assessing a socio-political system, the people’s attitude e.t.c. in a society is satire- a form of writing which makes fun of the evil or foolish behaviour of people, institutions or society in general. The Nigerian society for him is obviously a chaotic one where dreams and aspirations of people remain unrealized. He has seen with shock and disbelief the endemic corruption, moral decay and political morass that have become part and parcel of the society. Ola Rotimi, Wole Soyinka and other artists are committed as writers to restore order in the society through their various works respectively.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Art and Politics in the Beatification of Area Boy by Wole Soyinka and Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again by Ola Rotimi.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that the knowledge for readers of Wole Soyinka’s work that his literary texts are beyond what is obvious on the surface. His texts are laden with information and are sophisticated, such that readers mostly find it difficult to comprehend. Furthermore, in the play, The Beatification of Area Boy, social, cultural and political issues are extensively discussed. All these are embedded in the conversations and it will take a reader’s critical and objective perusal of the play to decode them, hence, the need for a Critical Discourse Analysis of the play to shed more light on these issues.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the Art and Politics in the Beatification of Area Boy by Wole Soyinka and Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again by Ola Rotimi. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To critically analyze the play so as to add to the existing body of knowledge in linguistics and literary study;
- To establish the critical and objective analysis of this play will aid easy comprehension among scholars; and
- To examine the adventure of the military into the politics of a country and how Wole Soyinka and Ola Rotimi have presented this artfully in their works respectively.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Does the critical and objective analysis of this play aid easy comprehension among scholars?
- Can a Critical Discourse Analysis of the play of the subject matter enhance its easy comprehension?
- What is the adventure of the military into the politics of a country and how Wole Soyinka and Ola Rotimi have presented this artfully in their works respectively?
1.6 Significance of Study
This research work is done to advance scholarship on art and politics. It enables one in understanding the relationship between the two variables. This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.7 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Art and Politics in the Beatification of Area Boy by Wole Soyinka and Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again by Ola Rotimi.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.9 Methodology
The approach to the research work is descriptive. The Beatification of Area Boy and Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again will be the primary texts while works on the internet and related books will be consulted. The primary texts are described in the light of their preoccupation with politics.
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