Abstract:
The
paper explores some contemporary concerns in Nigerian novels. Nigeria is
constantly inundated with a myriad of issues, chief among them ethnic and
religious militias. These issues have undoubtedly hampered development, as the
government expends significant resources in trying to address them. From the
North to the South, religious extremists and tribal irredentists have exploited
ethnic and religious patriotism to attack the Nigerian state, creating
conflicts of unimaginable proportions. These developments have been captured by
Nigerian novels, which over the years have served as the country’s seismograph,
reflecting and adapting to the shifting realities of Nigeria’s socio-political
landscape. This paper examines the reasons behind the emergence of ethnic and
religious militias in Helon Habila’s novels Measuring Time and Chibok Girls,
through the lens of New Historicism, a multi-disciplinary approach that draws
from history, legends, politics, anthropology, archaeology, and other fields to
enrich its discourse. The paper asserts that unless conscious efforts are made
to address religious and ethnic bigotry, these problems will continue to
persist in the Nigerian state. This approach differs significantly from
previous analyses of Habila’s novels, which focused on eco-criticism and
Marxist perspectives.
Keywords: Militia, Ethnic Militia, War Lord,
New Historicism
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/tjllc.2024.v03i02.014
author/Prof. Ezekiel Solomon Akuso & Musa Umaru Gargati
journal/Tasambo JLLC 3(2) | September 2024 |
