Abstract:
This paper expands epistemic boundaries in civil war discourse. It investigates the intersection of symbolism and humour in recreating a historical and tragic event, such as the civil war, using J.O.J Nwachukwu-Agbada’s “A Bath in the Dust”, a short story in his anthology, A Small Dirty Pillow Other Stories. It is different from other critical works on civil war literature, which focus solely on relevant ideological, social and thematic engagements of the war. Through the lens of symbols and humour, the thematic thrusts of the war are revealed and interrogated. The study deploys the theory of New Historicism in the critique of the primary text, since the story is a historical event. The theory of New Historicism assumes that literature is an account of its historical moment. It analyses a text based on the power structures and ideologies of the times that produced it. Meaning in New Historicism is essentially not a fixed one since history is not linear and there is no single voice or interpretation that embodies a given historical moment. The methodology used in the story is close reading, implicating aspects of the theme, plot and characterization. The findings of the paper are relevant: one, symbolism and humour are potent literary tools through which a historical moment can be recreated and appreciated, and two, style can effectively implicate theme in a work.
Keywords: Civil War, Humour, Literature, Literary Technique, New Historicism, Symbolism
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/tjllc.2026.v05i02.014
author/Dr. Chimeziri C. Ogbedeto & Dr. Ugochukwu Ogechi Iwuji
journal/Tasambo JLLC 5(2) | February 2026 |
