DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERATURE

Trauma is a deeply distressing experience that greatly impacts individuals’ psychological, emotional and physical wellbeing. Hence this study will focus on examining its type and causes, effects and defense mechanisms as demonstrated in Funke Akibdeke’s “A tribe called Judah” and Kenneth Nnebue’s “Died Wretched” . The methodological approach used in this study is the psychoanalytic approach because trauma is like a sickness of the mind, it has to do with matters of the subconscious mind. The study discovers that Funke Akindele and Kenneth Nnebue through the characters, reveals how people become the things they hate as a result of one traumatic experience or the other,. The findings reveals that the subconscious has a greater percent influence on our consciousness as we tend to react physically based on what we are facing or have faced psychologically. The study concludes that both movies are like mirror or a reflection of the inner mind and the physical reaction of an individual

The human desire to find or create meaning is an enduring focus in literature. This study examines the human quest for meaning across time and culture by comparing Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and Jennifer Makumbi’s The First Woman. While Beckett presents a world of waiting, silence, and existential emptiness, Makumbi shows how storytelling, family history, myths, and women’s voices help create meaning. Using a comparative literary approach, the study explores how time, waiting, human connection, speech and silence, symbols, and cultural and social factors shape the search for purpose. Findings show that Beckett reflects universal existential concerns about uncertainty and the limits of language, whereas Makumbi demonstrates how culture and history enable identity, agency, and hope. In conclusion, the research highlights that the search for meaning is both universal and culturally specific, and it emphasizes the value of cross- cultural literary study in understanding how humans everywhere confront life’s uncertainties and strive to create purpose

Music in Nigeria has long served as more than entertainment, it functions as a vehicle for resistance, awareness, and social reflection. This study explores how Nigerian Musicians as Eedris Abudakareem and Falz use their music as platforms for social commentary. Through a literary analysis of selected songs: Abdukareem’s “Country Hard”, “Tell Ur Papa”, ”Jaja jaga” by , and Falz “ E no finish ” , “Talk” “Wehdone Sir”, and “This Is Nigeria” . The research investigates how these critique issues such as corruption, bad governance, poverty, inequality and youth disillusionment .This study situates Nigerian popular music within the broader framework of literature and cultural resistance, highlighting its role in shaping public consciousness and challenging societal norms.

This study examined how characters in Ayobami Adebayo's Stay with Me demonstrate the dimensions of human consciousness and the nature of the human mind using psychoanalytic theory. This study is limited to Adebayo Ayobami Stay with Me (2017). It focused on exploring the psychological lens of the main characters. This study employed psychoanalytic theory to analyze how unconscious desires, fears, and conflicts shape the characters’ behaviors and relationships in Stay with Me . The study aimed to apply these psychoanalytic principles specifically to examine the unconscious motivations, internal psychological struggles, and defense mechanisms employed by the novel’s main characters, particularly Yejide and Akin.

This research studied the interplay between racism, intra-Black discriminations and the language used in Sefi Atta’s The Bad Immigrant (2021) to show social inequality and power relations. The research employed Norman Fairclough’s social-critical approach to discourse analysis, and explored how words and communication in the novel fueled racism, classism, and discrimination among Nigerian immigrants in the United States. Drawing insight from critics such as Frantz Fanon, Isabella Fairclough, Norman Fairclough and Friday Darboe, the study situated this work among broader social-political debates about anti-Black racism and intra-racial discrimination in the diaspora. Findings in the study revealed that language helped to build and maintain social hierarchies. The speech and actions used in the novel reflect how immigrants adapt and respond to prejudice. It showed how characters in the novel face racism and also how they sometimes repeat the same prejudiced behaviors toward others. The research also revealed that African immigrants are not just victims but can also actively reproduce systems of prejudice while trying to survive and succeed in a society shaped by inequality. Overall, this study concluded that language plays a powerful role in shaping identity and social position. It adds to the discussion on intra-Black conflict by showing that discrimination happens both from outside and within minority groups

The desecration of religious ethics is a pressing concern in contemporary society, wherethe manipulation and exploitation of faith for personal gain have become increasinglyrampant. This project examines how religious ethics are being desecrated, focusingonthecompromise of religious leaders, institutions, and adherents in perpetuating harmandinjustice. Through a critical analysis of case studies and scholarly literature, this researchreveals the complex dynamics of power, corruption, and moral decay that underliethedesecration of religious ethics. The project concludes by highlighting the needfor arenewed commitment to ethical practices, accountability, to restore the integrityofreligious traditions, and promote a more just and compassionate society

This study explores the pervasive themes of corruption and oil exploitation in the Niger Delta as depicted in Helon Habila’s Oil on Water and Ruky Divine Ogede’s Festering Wounds.Through a literary ecocritical lens the research examines how both authors portray the environmental degradation,human suffering and systemic corruption that plague oil-rich communities.The texts reveal the complicity of government officials,multinational corporations, and militant groups in perpetuating sociopolitical instability and environmental injustice. Characters in both novels are usedas symbols of resistance, victimhood, andsurvival, highlighting the multifaceted consequences of oil wealth mismanagement. The study also identifies the silencing of whistleblowers and community voices as a critical element in sustaining corrupt systems. By comparing these two literary works, the research underscores the urgency for accountability, environmental justice, and ethical governance in resource management in the Niger Delta.

The study explores how two great collections of poems, Webs of Remembrance by Removing Raji and Odia Ofeimun London Letter, gives voice to communities affected by environmental destruction. The research would explore how these poets highlights the ongoing economic and ecological violence against indigenous communities and the poets role in advocating for environmental rights and justice.Raji's work documents the environmental degradation in Nigeria and Benue, critiquing the corporate and governmental policies that harm the local ecosystem. while Ofeimun's poems addresses the daily struggle lagosians faces due to environmental hazard. Through a comparative analysis, the study will show how literature serves as a power fIndigenousul medium for environmental advocacy, social critique and cultural preservation in the Nigerian context.

This research, titled Psychoanalyzing Resistant Female Characters in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Dream Count and Bessie Head’s “Life,” explores the psychological workings of women who choose unconventional paths in the texts. It examines how the way of thinking and being, particularly within patriarchal contexts clashing with feminist liberation and choice, serves as a representation of resistant and unconscious drives. The analysis of Dream Count and “Life” reveals that the thoughts and actions of characters like Omelogor and Life, which may be seen as irrational, are not really “irrational” but are backed up by a psychological framework that prioritizes authenticity, truth, self and freedom. The study extends to the role that personal experiences play in shaping one’s psyche and deviant choices in life. Ultimately, this work underscores that deviance, whether in personality, characterisation or behaviour, is not merely a show-off, but a representation of desires and authenticity backed by psyche

This study examines the use of metaphor as a tool for social criticism in selected poems from Kola Eke’s August 1985. The research explores how Eke employs figurative expressions to expose and challenge social, political, and economic injustices in Nigerian society. Through vivid metaphors, the poet critiques corruption, class oppression, gender inequality, and moral decay that characterize post-colonial realities. The study interprets these metaphors as symbols of resistance and social awakening, reflecting the voice of the marginalized and the oppressed. The analysis focuses on how Eke transforms ordinary experiences into powerful social commentaries that provoke thought and inspire change. His language of protest and imagery of struggle reveal the tension between the ruling elite and the common people, making his poetry not only artistic but revolutionary. The study finds that Eke’s metaphors deepen the meaning of his criticism, turning poetic language into a weapon of awareness and reform.
The research concludes that metaphor in August 1985 is not just a stylistic device but a conscious political act. It exposes inequality, questions authority, and advocates social justice. By merging art with activism, Kola Eke’s poetry strengthens the tradition of Nigerian writers who use literature to mirror society and drive transformation.