A STYLISTIC CRITICISM OF WOLE SOYINKA’S PROSE

A STYLISTIC CRITICISM OF WOLE SOYINKA'S PROSE

ABSTRACT

This research utilizes a stylistic critical method to examine the use of the English language in Wole Soyinka's prose works, The Interpreters, Season of Anomy, Ake and ; The Man Died. The aim is to show, by means of a systematic and comprehensive description of the four prose works, that, contrary to criticisms of the lack of vision and commitment often levelled against Soyinka, his works display a consistency of visionary and committed themes realized by a revolutionary style. The study examines some of the charges of obscure and inaccessible diction. It demonstrates that although Soyinka's riddles and sometimes iconoclastic literary style may often tax the reader's intellect and require him to possess a certain amount of ingenuity necessary for proper appreciation, criticisms of obscurity and difficulty are most often exaggerated and so invalid. Chapter one is in two parts. The first part attempts a general overview of the status of the English language in the world, showing its prospects and limitations. It also examines the debate on whether or not the English language is capable of properly expressing the African world view and so be in a position to enhance creativity. It goes on to discuss some of the definitions of style and stylistics and to show what stylistics can contribute to the criticism of African literature. Chapter one also distinguishes stylistic criticism from literary criticism on the one hand, and from linguistic criticism on the other. It demonstrates that a purely linguistic or a purely literary critical approach to African literature is inadequate and concludes that, since matters of linguistic format are closely related to content in African literature, a synthesis of both approaches makes for a more acceptable criticism of literature. The second part addresses the statement of the problem that the study hopes to solve. The second part also contains a definition of the critical and stylistic terms used in the research. In chapter two, the thesis reviews literature on Soyinka's use of language within the context of what hasbeen written about the language question in African literature. Chapter two also contains a review of literature on stylistics as a critical discipline and on Wole Soyinka's prose works. The chapter demonstrates that many of these opinions are either invalid or inexhaustive because they are restricted to one aspect or the other of Soyinka's works. Chapter three appraises in detail the thematic, grammatical, linguistic and aesthetic aspects of the fictional works, The Interpreters and Season of Anomy. In chapter four, the study carries out a similar detailed appraisal of the thematic, grammatical, linguistic and aesthetic features on the autobiographical works, Ake and The Man Died Chapter five summarizes the major arguments of the study and draws conclusions.

A STYLISTIC CRITICISM OF WOLE SOYINKA'S PROSE

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