The Climax of Revolutionary Consciousness in Contemporary Nigeria: A Study of Festus Iyayi’s Violence

Abstract

Literature in Africa has primarily performed the role of transformation in our societies. This responsibility dates far back to the pre-colonial era, where the domain of oral literature was just about the only means of educating the masses on pertinent matters affecting the society. Nonetheless, in recent times, the African notion of what encompasses literature goes far beyond several factors ranging from handling issues such as politics, philosophy, history, migration, mysticism, sexism, classism, corruption, social injustice and a host of many others. It is on this backdrop that Festus Iyayi‘s Violence is discussed as a text embodying the diverse issues in the contemporary Nigerian. The researcher did a textual analysis of the novel using both primary and secondary sources of data collection. The study adopted the theory of postcolonialism as a lens in portraying the happenings in the contemporary Nigerian society, through a textual analysis of the plot, characterization, and themes in the selected work of art. The study discovers and unmasks the dangers of issues such as violence, inequalities, dehumanization, injustice, poverty, hunger, infidelity, corruption, exploitation, political instability, amongst others, with the hope to finding lasting solution. Iyayi therefore, advocates for an alternative society where the cause of the working people, the apparent human degradation of the working people would be the ultimate concern of the ruling class. In conclusion, the study recommends and calls for all the oppressed of our society to take up arms, to overthrow the present oppressive and corrupt capitalist system, which undermines the security and national development. This is the climax of the revolutionary consciousness of the study.