CHILD ABUSE IN THE IGBO FAMILY: AN ANALYSIS OF OSUAGWU’S NWA NGWII PUO EZE

Abstract

Child abuse is a problematic phenomenon the world over, and a practice that has received muchcondemnation from local and international agencies. Much has been written on the subject by scholars,especially social scientists, but regrettably, little or no attention has been paid to it by literary scholars.Consequently, this study examines child abuse in Igbo literature with a view to estimating the factorsresponsible for the abuse and the effects of the abuse on the abuser and the abused in the Igbo society.Bertram Osuagwu’s drama text Nwa Ngwii Puo Eze was purposively selected due to its thematic focuson the subject of child abuse. Bowlby’s (1973) Attachment Theory was used as analytical guide in thestudy. The result shows four factors accountable to abuse in the drama, as follows: ideological, social,psychological, and emotional factors. The belief among the Igbo that poor children who eventuallycome by fortune would turn against their benefactor fueled the maltreatment of the protagonistUwadiegwu by his boss, Ulumma. A second reason behind the abuse of Uwadiegwu is the usual socialcondition of orphans who are left at the mercy of a careless society. A third and more compelling factoris that, having been a victim of abuse herself, Ulumma was psychologically disposed to dispense withabuse on Uwadiegwu, as a means of revenge. Finally, emotional inadequacy, manifested by fear of theeducational future of her own children pushed Ulumma into denying Uwadiegwu of his right toeducation. The implications of abuse was evident in Uwadiegwu’s emotional, social, and psychologicalinhibition, Ulumma’s loss of her own child as a result of Uwadiegwu’s miscalculation traceable to hisabuse, and Uwadiegwu’s eventual loss of teaching job in a school. It is recommended that a systematicapproach be adopted to stop the trend in abuse of subordinate people such as house helps because in themedium or long term, society may begin to suffer the ill outcome in the form of armed robbery, banditry,terrorism and other sinister social evils.