Language Variation In Chinua Achebe’s Novels: A Study Of A Man Of The People And Anthills Of The Savannah

ABSTRACT

The study examined the Language Variation in Chinua Achebe’s Novels: A Study Of A Man Of The People And Anthills Of The Savannah. To a remarkable degree, there is a nexus and interconnectedness in the linguistic, stylistic and ideological issues arising from both A man of the people and anthills of the savannah. This work therefore, has critically explored language variation in Achebe’s Novel with reference to A Man of the People and Anthills of Savannah This research employed the use of secondary data as it examined the interplay and familiarity in the linguistic features, stylistic orientations and lingua franca variations in the Two novels. It was discovered that Achebe made a blend of three modes of English language In Anthills of Savannah examining the journey of struggle by Ikem, the protagonist, distinguishing between words that are uttered in English and those uttered in the mother-tongue, using italics to represent words which represent English. In “A Man of the People” Achebe used an omniscient stande as characters in urban cities were made to speak in pidgin English. The research also set to establish whether language variations is a solution to making a point about class division in the society as Achebe gives Pidgin English a dignified status, Sociolinguistic profile of characters in Anthills of Savannah is confined to the types of languages used by the characters. This study also adopts formalism theory as its theoretical framework. Under formalism, these two novels portrays two social groups with their roles in the society amidst different ethical codes and presents it as hope for the future of African post-colonial ties. In general, the study comprises an attempt to draw into a framework of African literature, how western type of school have made English language in the Nigerian society, a second language as it is the language of colonization itself The researcher therefore recommends amongst other things that national policy on education be amended to accommodate means of achieving a workable language policy.

CHAPTER ONE

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Language variation is central in sociolinguistics. The English Language Varies on individual, regional national and global levels the study of language variation guides language development activities for examples, when developing a writing system it is desirable to the largest number of speakers of the language.

Achebe’s A man of the people he shows that Nigerian pidgin should be regarded as both an independent language and as an effective means by which African writers can adopt and then alter the English language to make it their own. Nigerian pidgin as Lingua Franca.

In an attempt of justify his ideology, Achebe stylistically presented his novels Anthills of the savannah and A man of the people in three forms of English language to reflect his characters and his audience as well as his African setting. The language forms include standard English, pidgin and proverb.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Chinua Achebe as a writer in a second language, the language of the Colonial Master for that matter fears that he may never write well enough to qualify as a literary artist.

Chinua Achebe uses language variation in all his novel, he divided the language in different social classes in the society. He uses standard English for the high class people like educated once in his novels i.e Beatrice use of language is standard English but sometime she code-switch to pidgin English due some circumstances or for Elewa who is classified as an uneducated person who do not speak English but pidgin. Chief Nanga always speak English and pidgin and Odili who is graduate but speak English and pidgin language.

Achebe uses special kind of language variation in order to represent the different social classes in the society like the educated and uneducated once. The problem of language limitation has received an attention disproportionate to other areas of the creative.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between language and literature as used by Achebe and that language gives room for greater knowledge.

Specifically, this study has the objective to place/identify the classes of language as used by the different social classes in the society. Therefore, Achebe novels A man of the people and Anthills of the savannah is done in such a way that language is emphasized. This is to set a precedence for the revisitation of so called African texts and authors which people have become tired of hearing about.

Another purpose of the study is let us know about the language variation use in Achebe novel A man of the people and Anthills of the savannah how he classified the language, standard English, pidgin English and proverbs.

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

This research work is very necessary and important. To the effect that it is to the benefit of student, critics and scholars interested in the study of intrce language use in the novels. It is also to the benefit in one way or the other  to scholar who are interested in the study of Chinua Achebe with special attention on the two selected novels of this study A man of the people and Anthills of the savannah. It is equally hoped that the students in the English department will benefit immensely in this study.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: FORMALISM THEORY

Formalism theory is school of literary criticism and literary theory having manily to do with structural purposes of a particular text a style or method in art, music, literature, science e.t.c that pay more attention to the rules and appearance of things than to inner meaning and peeling.

Achebe’s work records the first steps of newly independent African countries and the instability following the process of  independence. In A man of the people and Anthills of the savannah he portrays the two social groups which play a specially significant role in society: politicians and intellectuals. In this article we will see how Achebe characterizes them and stresses their different ethical codes, politicians, in spite of their power even if this means the persecution of dissenters. The latter are mainly middle class professionals and intellectuals fighting for their ideas of national reconstruction and political change sometimes paying with their lives but presented by narrators as the only hope for the future of African post-colonial so cities.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

For a long period of time after Biafra, Achebe did not write any long novels. An

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In the course of this study there is extensive use of secondary supplementary data obtained from different libraries, to start with review of textbooks and studies on the problem. Other supplementary information was obtained from materials such as journals and found online. 

LIMITATION OF STUDY

The constraints of carrying out this study included mainly finance to run around and acquire the necessary materials, time and scarcity of materials, as most people were un-co-operative and reluctant to allow space for use of their libraries.

CHAPTER CONCERNS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

CHAPTER THREE

LANGUAGE VARIATION IN ANTHILLS OF THE SAVANNAH

CHAPTER FOUR

LANGUAGE VARIATION IN A MAN OF THE PEOPLE

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION.

Pages:  35

Category: Project

Format:  Word & PDF

Chapters: 1-5

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References