Literary study of invectives in selected works of H. K. Bidi Setsoafia

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dc.contributor.authorDogbey, Emmanuel
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-11T06:23:02Z
dc.date.available2023-08-11T06:23:02Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.descriptionA thesis submitted to the school of law, arts and social sciences in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of doctor of philosophy (literature) of Kenyatta University, May 2023en_US
dc.description.abstractThis research studies how Setsoafia creatively uses invectives to address critical social issues like corruption, greed, poor governance, educational illiteracy, drunkenness, and prostitution as a method of literary representation in his rendition of life among the Ewe people. Despite using invectives to fictionalise behaviour and social consciousness and even though invectives usage is heavily frowned upon, invective competence is critical in language and culture and is traditionally enshrined for moral education and entertainment amongst the Ewes. Every native speaker of Ewe seems to be groomed right from childhood to be conscious of invectives and to appropriately engage in performances involving them. This concept is figured in Setsoafia‘s writings; projecting Ewe‘s philosophy, culture, cosmology, and life in general. Considering a word, action, or expression as an invective is context dependent. This study focuses on three literary works of Setsoafia: ‗Fia Tsatsala‘ (The wandering King), ‗Togbui Kpeglo II‘ (King Kpeglo II), and ‗Mede Ablotsidela‘ (I am married to one who had been abroad). The research objectives explore elements of invective expressions, their cause-effects and gradations in constructing literaty characters, figures of speech and themes. This probes the novelistic use of invectives in influencing characterisation, figurative expressions and themes. The study adopts Avorgbedor‘s optimal performance model of Don Elger‘s performance theory. The model explains that language forms (invectives) and their usage depend on and defines the performer‘s (character) mindset, the communicative setting and the reflections that unearth meanings to oneself and others. It argues that every action is a performance, and in this study, every invective usage is a performance engineered by a purposed mindset and experience. The model is engaged to present and respond to invective usage and its dynamisms, interrogating their cause, effects, and themes through the lens of the actions of the characters. Since textual efficacy rather than material quantification is the phenomenon under investigation, this study offers a critical and pristine understanding of characters‘ competence in invective usage in the selected works. The findings reveal invectives as unavoidable language forms that control meaning and life and occur in everyday activities. Also, literary elements seem to be founded and controlled by invective mindsets and every form of advice, praise, edification, and entertainment bear some invective concepts and persuades one to be responsible. The study identifies invective usages to be covering ethnophaulism, dehumanisation, sex, stereotype, body parts, and humour. These areas mark the categorisation and gradations of invectives for specific roles, effects, and interpretations. It concludes that naturally, humans are untruful and when expressions expose their weaknesses or threaten their status and emotions, they regard them as invectives. The study suggests that invectives should not be treated only as forms that violate one‘s rights but also as useful tools for correcting, reprimanding, teaching, commending, and making fun of people and situationsen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipKenyatta Universityen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/26775
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherKenyatta universityen_US
dc.subjectLiterary studyen_US
dc.subjectH. K. Bidi Setsoafiaen_US
dc.titleLiterary study of invectives in selected works of H. K. Bidi Setsoafiaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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