Class Stratification, Poverty And Social Injustice: A Critical Analysis Of Festus Iyayi’s Violence And Olu Obafemi Wheels.

This study is set out to analysis the issues of poverty, class stratification and social injustice in Olu Obafemi’s Wheels and Festus Iyayi’s Violence. The purpose is to enlighten Africans on the need to fight against all forms of social injustice. The Marxist theory is adopted for the analysis of this study. The result is that the quest for a classless society is the only way for a better living.

TITLE PAGE          i 

DEDICATION        ii 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS      iii

CERTIFICATION        iv

ABSTRACT         v

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction        1 

1.1 Statement of Research Problem     2

1.2 Purpose of the Study      3

1.3 Scope and Limitation      3

1.4 Justification        4

1.5 Research Methodology      4 

1.6 Authors’ Background      5

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Literature Review       8

CHAPTER THREE 

3.0 POVERTY, CLASS STRATIFICATION AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE IN OLU OBAFEMI’S WHEELS 24 

CHAPTER FOUR 

4.0 POVERTY, CLASS STRATIFICATION AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE IN FESTUS IYAYI’S VIOLENCE  35

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 FINDINGS, SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION  45

A writer is supposed to perform certain duties to the upliftment of his society. Perhaps this accounts for various roles that both writers and critics have ascribed to modern African writers. Ngugi says:

I believe that Africa intellectual must align themselves with the struggle national idea… perhaps in a small way, the African writer can help in articulating the feelings behind this struggle. (Ngugi, 1975:50)

Nigerian writers have pursued different themes amongst which are cross-cultural conflicts, the African past, corruption in politics, social injustice, which also include; poverty, exploitation, oppression, marginalization, class struggle and class stratification. Achebe argues that the novel is a:

Form of fiction has seized the imagination of many African writers and they will use it according to their differing abilities, sensibilities and vision without seeking anyone’s permission. I believe it will grow and prosper. I believe it has great future. (Achebe, 1981:54)

Apparently, the events of the Nigerian political system have caused Nigerian writing to shift in themes. Therefore, a writer who tries to avoid the big social and political issues of contemporary African society will end up completely irrelevant because his work would have no impact on the people and society. 

Such work becomes irrelevant like the writer himself to the society and the people because he has failed to address any of the important issues at stake. Therefore art should not just be for the purpose of exploring its beauty just as the formalist school of thought posits. It should contemplate the society and expose the ills in the society and as well define a solution for these ills just as the Marxist would argue.

The Marxist concern emerges out of the need to find a lasting solution to class stratification and a society free of oppression. Fortunately, this quest is not in vain as a good number of writers in Africa are involved in various ways in the struggle for the negation of the neo-colonialism and the alienating effect of capitalist lordship in African countries. Among these African writers are Olu Obafemi and Festus Iyayi. Olu Obafemi uses his novel Wheels to mirror the society and as well fight for the cause of the poor, just as Festus Iyayi has done in his novel Violence. He uses his protagonist Idemudia to narrate the plight of the poor who suffer from social injustice and are placed in the lower cadre of the society. 

Marxism, like every other modern theory of writing is universal and since it can be used in quest of freeing the society from corrupt practices, Africans should then, not be left out as the decisive development of African literature. Marxism consists of the rise of a tradition of radical thinking in general, and with strongest ideological alignment. 

At the level of general theory of development in question, it is a vindication of the generalization that in a class society, literary movements are inevitable, if not automatic outgrowth of class society and political directions.