ABSTRACT
This project work deals with a critical analysis of characters and their journey using the novels of Amos Tutuola’s The Palm- wine Drinkard and Gabriel A. Ajadi’s The Forest of God annotated translation of D. O. Fagunwa’s Igbo Olodumare.
This study tends to explore man and his adventurous life as a result of his quest. Sociological approach was adopted in this study to show that man in indispensable in the society and Journey (adventure) is essential to man. Journey varies depending on the quest of an individual coupled with determination and encouragement from people around. Characters and Journey applies to everybody in life; you and I, our quests and journeys through life void of fear.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title Pagei
Certificationii
Dedicationiii
Acknowledgmentiv
Abstractvi
Table of Content vii
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2Purpose of the Study5
1.3Justification 5
1.4Scope of the Study 6
1.5Research Questions 6
1.6Research Methodology 7
Notes8
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1Introduction 9
2.2Reviews on the Authors9
2.3Sociological Approach 13
2.4African Belief14
2.5Characters and Characterization 15
2.5.1Types of Characters16
2.6Journey and Its Allegorical Interpretations19
2.6.1Allegory 20
2.6.2Allegorical Interpretation for Journey21
Notes24
CHAPTER THREE
3.1Amos Tutuola’s Biography 26
3.2Tutuola And His Works27
3.3Summary of the Novel29
3.4Character Analysis 31
3.5Analysis of the Palm-Wine Drinkard’s Journey in and Tutuola’s the
Palm-wine Drinkard 35
3.6Notes 42
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1Biographies of the Authors43
4.1.1D.O. Fagunwa’s Biography43
4.1.2G.A. Ajadi’s Biography44
4.2Fagunwa and His Works45
4.3Gabriel Ajadi’s Translation of Igbo Olodumare to Forest of God46
4.4Summary of the Novel47
4.5Character Analysis 50
4.6The Analysis of Olowo-Aiye’s Journey in Ajadi’s the Forest of God54
Notes 58
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1Summary and Findings 59
5.2Conclusion62
5.3Recommendation 62
Bibliography63
INTRODUCTION
Fiction can be defined as a true to life story or experience, written out of imagination. Fiction is made – believe in as much as it does not claim that events or character it presents are historically real.
African fiction can be defined as a true story written out of imagination viz-a-viz cultural heritage and ideas introducing characters and their environment. Most fictions especially Africans are about people and how they interact. Fiction generally presents conflicts and its resolution. Conflict can be between a person and nature but generally, it is between two or more individuals. Occasionally, conflict involves three individuals with different patterns of two – against – one.
African fiction writers choose to create ‘facts’ in accordance with the patterns of human behaviour or condition which he sets out to present. So therefore, fiction or African fiction is not false or untrue most of the time.
African writers use ‘characters’ and what the characters does or is in their work to pass their messages across and the characters take the position of the mind of the writers by acting upon the mind and the imaginations of the writer which will be the main subject of this work.
The word ‘character’ is derived from the Greek word ‘charassein’ meaning to mark wit a cut or a furrow.
Characters can be defined as fictional persons or agents who carryout the action in a story that is, they are the created being who undergoes the experiences which fiction concern itself with.
The Uvic writers guide (1995) defines characters as the persons presented in a work of narrative or drama who convey their personal qualities through dialogue and action by which readers or audience understand their thought, feelings, intentions and motives.
Character development is very important in a character – driven literature. This is a well characterization of characters with many traits in the narrative where the story does not focus on the events but on individual personalities. A well developed character is one that has thoroughly characterized with many traits shown in the narrative. He acts according to the past instances provided by his invisible traits unless more information about the character is provided. The better the audience know the character, the better the character’s development.
Characterization can be defined as the method by which an author creates or characterizes his character’s exposition, description, narration and action rarely occur in pure form, but are intermixed with one another. When an author portrays his characters almost entirely by revealing the character’s recess and turns of words without any authorial comments, he is simply inviting us to what is going on in the character’s mind as indication of his personalities. He presents the impact of action and events on character’s inner self. The internal or unspoken processes of the character’s mind and emotions are revealed inform of interior monologues.
Characters in fiction can be conveniently classified into major or minor characters, static and dynamic characters. A major character is a centre figure at the centre of a story’s action or theme while a minor character occupies the minor areas of a story. Usually a character’s status as a major or a minor character is clear on occasion. However two characters dominate a story and their relationship matter most.
Characters either remain stable in their attitude through out a story and they are called static characters or they under go personal development or changes whether through a gradual process or crises of which they are called dynamic characters but in any case remain consistent in their basic nature.
Journey can be defined as an act of traveling from one place to another especially when they are far apart. One can also go for a trip which is somewhat a short journey that one embarks upon. According to the free dictionary by farlex Collins English dictionary (2003) and thasarus – farlex (2003-2008), Journey is the act of traveling from one place to another; trip or voyage. According to Kemerman English Multi-Lingual Dictionary (2006-2010), Journey is a distance traveled especially over land etc.
Journeys mean several journeys to different places at each point of the journey especially when they are far away or take a longer time to get to or return.
Life is a journey; everyone is bound to travel on the path of life. People in the society embark on a journey to find solution to their problems. Journey may be a guest for knowledge, greener pasture, solution to problems etc and there is no journey or adventure without a reason and a target to where one is going. A journey embarked upon without a target is an endless journey; a journey without a map and the person is bound to get lost at any point in the course of his journey. Everyone in life has one or two thing he/she wants to achieve in life. While some may take a shorter journey to get there, others may take a longer journey to get there. So individual quest in life varies.
According to the American Heritage, fourth edition (2000 updated in 2009), Journey is a process or course likened to traveling; passage: the journey of life.
Characters and Journey which is the case study of this work in the two texts; Gabriel Ajadi’s “The Forest of God” and Amos Tutuola’s “The Palm-wine Drinkard”. These features were prominent and it is the main subject of the books. The characters embarked on a journey, one (The Palm-wine Drinkard) has the quest for solution while the other (Olowo aiye) has the quest for knowledge and a quest for an opportunity to prove himself as a powerful hunter who cannot be daunted by the awe of the unknown.
The main characters embarked on a journey meeting with different types of challenges on their way but they were not swallowed up. Each of them was able to satisfy their inquisitiveness about where they went; ‘the Palm-Wine Drinkard’, to deads’ town in search for his palm-wine Tapster while Olowo aiye, to Igbo Olodumare (The Forest of God) out sheer love for adventure and a quest for an opportunity to prove himself as a powerful hunter who cannot be daunted by the awe of the unknown.
They went, they saw and they conquered.