Browsing by Author "Maina, Oscar Macharia"

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    Elements of Tragedy in Selected Novels of Ngugi Wa Thiong’o
    (Kenyatta University, 2016-09-13) Maina, Oscar Macharia
    This study investigates Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s use of tragedy as a method of literary representation in his rendition of postcoloniality. The study focuses on five novels;The River Between, A Grain of Wheat, Matigari, Petals of Blood, and Devil on the Cross. As its objectives, the study investigates: the various elements of tragedy used in his selected novels; the use of tragedy in the emplotment and representation of thematic concerns in these novels; and the use of the tragic form as an expression of wa Thiong’o’s postcolonial vision in the selected novels. The study interrogates the presentation of characters, their narrative world, and the conflicts that these characters represent. The ideas that these characters espouse stir the conflicts that wa Thiong’o highlights through these novels and contribute to the literary signification of the postcolonial discourse. With close analysis of key novelistic features such as narrative plot and structure, representation, characterisation, motifs, and point of narration, the study interrogates how wa Thiong’o uses tragedy not only as a means of evaluating the different causes of tragic conflicts but also as a means of proposing avenues for entrenching both ideological and a literary discourse in response to these tragic conflicts. In its analysis of the selected texts, the study uses tenets of postcolonial criticism and tragic realism to facilitate its evaluation of not only the narrative structure but also the novels’ discourse. The study uses descriptive analysis of the selected novels to qualitatively interrogate them in line with the study’s objectives.
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    Exploring the motifs of death and immortality
    (Journal of Language, Technology & Entrepreneurship in Africa, 2009) Maina, Oscar Macharia
    Felt threatened by the eventuality of death, inculcating in them a fear so great that all possible strategies are engaged in the search for an avenue that would prepare them for this eventuality. A careful exploration of human activities surrounding the issues of death and immortality reveals an obsession with the expression of the possibility of defeating death through the artistic act. Art functions as the arena where human beings can mock, jeer, and repudiate mortality. Indeed, death is a central conundrum in philosophical, literary and even religious arguments that focus on human identity and reality. The usefulness of literature in exposing human fears, aspirations and desires is emphasized as literature functions as the meeting point where all manner of philosophies are presented and debated. In examining how the motifs of death and immortality are represented in the artistic act, it is imperative that this article draws from a wide range of genres. Apparently, both oral and written forms of human expression, as well as metaphysical, fantastic and mythic representations of the cultural text have been taken into consideration. The revelation is that we rely on art to express even our deepest fears, and we reciprocate by giving art an immortal status. This results in an interdependence that combines to defeat the abrasiveness of mortality. Also, this symbiotic relationship accords the creative act a pivotal role for it gives death a form and a face, making it easier for us to deal with it and assume a privileged psychological standpoint.
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    Literary Study of Invectives in Selected Works of H.K. Bidi Setsoafia
    (Stratford Peer Reviewed Journals and Book Publishing, 2021-09) Dogbey, Emmanuel; Mbithi, Esther Katheu; Maina, Oscar Macharia
    This study explored invective expressions, their cause, effects and gradations in defining literary elements and roles in literary works of Bidi Setsoafia. Since textual efficacy rather than material quantification is the phenomenon under investigation, this qualitative study offers a pristine understanding that invective usages form the anchor of literary works, communicative competence and language proficiency. Three literary works of Setsoafia, ‘Fia Tsatsala’ ‘Togbui Kpeglo II’ and ‘Mede Ablotsidela’ were closely studied for their invective embellishments. The study observes invective usages as expressions about real life activities. It focuses on the concept of optimal performance that the usage of a language form (invectives) depends on and defines the performer’s(character) mindset, communicative setting and its components that welcome and support actions, and the reflections that unearth meanings in diversity. The study tends to argues that every action is a performance and a reflection of personality and society; revealing themes and totality of norms and behaviours. Here, every invective use is a performance engineered by a purposed mindset to identify and respond to invective dynamisms, interrogate invective causes, effects, themes, aesthetics and cautions earthed by characters. The study found invectives as unavoidable language forms controlling meaning, actions and life and invective competence is a critical aspect of language and culture, traditionally enshrined in moral education, entertainment, across disciplines, in literary works as well as in everyday life activities. Invective competence seems a mark of language proficiency and cultural competence and every native speaker seems to be groomed right from childhood to be conscious of invectives and to appropriately engage in performances involving them. However, invective usage is heavily frowned upon. Finally, the novelistic use of invectives define tropes, establishes the efficacy of language in influencing character, character roles and actions, themes, aesthetics among others in literature. The study hypothesizes that literary elements are controlled by invective mindsets and every form of advice, persuasion, praise, edification, entertainment, responsibility or literature depends on invectives. The findings further reveal ethnophaulism, dehumanisation, sex, stereotype, body parts, and humour are invectives usage fields in the texts. They also contribute to mark the categorisation and gradations of invectives for specific roles, effects, and interpretations. The study concludes that humans naturally refuse to accept truth and when expressions expose their weaknesses or threaten their status and emotions, they regard it as invectives. The study suggests that invectives should not be treated as language usages that violet one’s rights but as useful tools for correcting, reprimanding, teaching, commending, and making fun of people and situations.
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    Mirroring the Subtext: Postmodernism in Ngugi wa Thiongo's Wizard of the Crow
    (Journal of Language, Technology and Entrepreneurship in Africa, 2007) Maina, Oscar Macharia
    This reading of Ngugi wa Thiong'o's Wizard of the Crow attempts to place the text in the postmodern writing tradition. We point out how surrealistic features are utilized to enhance the themes, style, and the author's conundrums. Ngugi has been accused of focusing on ideologies at the expense of creativity. Wizard of the Crow is, however, a purely artistic text where Ngugi's creativity is plausibly developed, without hindering his ideological expression. The fact that the text was originally written in Gikuyu helps the writer draw from the resource of traditional discourse, and arguably enable not only Gikuyu culture, but also their worldview and history negotiate for a global position in line with emerging postmodern imperatives.
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    The Beauty of Insults amongst the Ewe People
    (Royallite Global, 2021-03-29) Dogbey, Emmanuel; Mbithi, Esther K.; Kpodo, Pascal; Maina, Oscar Macharia
    Among the Ewes, insult is a mark of linguistic competence and culture consciouness. People receive praise for knowing how to insult. There are context appropriate insults and there are context inappropriate insults. The consideration of a particular utterance as an insult is dependent on the communicative situation. The medium through which insult as a verbal art is performed is varied and diverse among the Ewes and every native speaker is groomed right from childhood to appropriately engage in the performance of insult. This study conducts an aesthetic analysis of insults among the Ewes. The study draws data from four native speakers each from the Anlo, Tongu and Ʋedome dialect groups of Ewe. Data was collected through interviews, observations and native speaker intuitions. The study establishes that insult is not only a verbal art but also a verbal game that is played by the speakers, and that how well one can play this game marks the linguistic competence and cultural literacy of the speaker. The study also finds that literary devices such as simile, metaphor, exaggeration, synecdoche among others are employed in insult performances. Verbal and nonverbal acts including varied kinesics, silence, songs are media for the performance of insult amongst the Ewe people.
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    Writing Freedom: The Art of Contesting Incarceration
    (African Journals Online, 2011) Maina, Oscar Macharia
    Human existence and interaction is essentially characterized by a contest between individuals who at times have diametrically opposed social, political, and economic ideals. Due to the forceful nature of our idiosyncrasies, we always perceive our ideals infallible and hence as fit of being enforced on others. This attempt makes human interaction teeter precariously on the axis of dominance and the desire to overwhelm on one hand, and resistance on the other. Moreover, resistance is not realized in similar degrees in all individuals; there are those who are easily intimidated, while others have amazing levels of resilience and they would go to any length to defend their convictions. This fact is also explained by the observation that in all of us there is a paradoxical collocation of two natural and almost instinctual desires; desire to dominate others, and the desire for self-defense and self-preservation against domination by others. This preservation goes beyond protection of the body to include even the preservation of self dignity and personality. However, in the context of overwhelming subjugation, denial, and dominance, the oppressed lack effective avenues through which a conventional defense for the self would be enacted. This scenario is particularly witnessed in the context of imprisonment. In prison, the passage of time exposes the prisoner to vulnerability and a possible loss of self identity, which is made extremely painful by the severance of all meaningful human interactions.