THEORETICAL CONTEXT OF THE STUDY
3.4. How Fredric Jameson, Georg Lukacs’ and Terry Eagleton provide a Marxist theoretical framework for literary analysis
3.4.1. Applying Marxist literary theory to the text. Fundamental questions The theoretical postures of Jameson, Lukacs and Eagleton raised fundamental
elements that need to be engaged with when rendering a Marxist literary interpretation. What then are the fundamental questions to interrogate when analysing the texts of Soyinka, Rotimi and Ogunyemi and how will these questions be appropriated to the texts to justify their relevance to the framework? I will raise these fundamental questions and see how they speak to the texts.
What role does class play in the work; what is the author's analysis of class relations? The question is functional and relevant to the selected texts of Soyinka, Rotimi and Ogunyemi. The portrayal of class structure in the plays reflects the author’s ideological analysis of the society. In Soyinka’s Death and the king’s horseman, the play demonstrates the class situation that exists between the monarchs who determine what happens in society. Apart from the play been a cultural depiction of the African world (Yoruba), it also reveals the power relations that occur in the Yoruba cosmos. The king in the play represents a member of the upper class and his death necessarily means there must be a ritual suicide by his horseman to accompany him to the realms of transition.
This shows clear evidence that the monarchs are responsible for controlling society and also for resolving the metaphysical world. If not, why must it be the assistant to the king that must commit suicide to escort the king, does it mean
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the life of the common man in the community cannot access the spiritual world?
The common people in society are only depicted as market women, farmers, and cattle keepers. They end up toiling to enrich the monarchs who rely on their labour for affluence. This representation contained in Soyinka’s Death and the king’s horseman affirms the class portrayal and the author’s ideology of class relations in his work.
Rotimi’s Kurunmi as well as Ogunyemi’s the Vow also indicates and portrays the class relations that revolve between the superstructure and the base. The late Atiba demonstrated his power, will and ultimate decision by making sure his son is enthroned after his death. This justifies the power struggles that exist even in today’s society where leaders are not prepared to release power for any reason, and if they must, they prefer to handover to a member of their families.
This is what Rotimi presents in his play. Kurunmi as a character serves as an opposition and is totally against the late king’s decision and fights to his death.
The same scenario is reproduced in Ogunyemi’’s The Vow where the king commits suicide because his decision was not adhered to. The indication from these plays provides evidence and justifies the Marxist literary theory. The analysis that will be done will respond in-depth to these interrogations so that the full significance of suicide will be appreciated.
Another question is; what economic or social issues appear in the plays, and what are the effects of these issues on characters? The basic issues that confront the economic and social circumstances of characters in Soyinka’s Death and the king’s horseman, Rotimi’s Kurunmi and Ogunyemi’s the Vow are essentially based in the bourgeoisie’s attempt to control the resources of the community.
Kurunmi is known as a powerful warrior in Rotimi’s Kurunmi, and in the play he is depicted as one who has been able to acquire all the lands, taken away peoples farms and even the animals raised by the community are under his control. He becomes so powerful that the commoners in the community become scared. While they live in abject poverty and lack even food to eat, Kurunmi lives in affluence and even determines when the markets are opened, and how much has been received as tax from the market people. This economic emphasis in the play goes a long way in affecting the social relationships amongst
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members of the community. It is the love for power that leads Kurunmi to war with his people.
In Ogunyemi’s The Vow, the issue is not an exception as the king flounders and wonders with arrogance and show of authority to his people. His people are ravaged by poverty yet he summons his elders to decide for him what he should do for his son who is returning from abroad. The options provided are enormous, expensive and surprising especially in the land where people can hardly eat.
This attitude affects the characters. In Soyinka’s Death and the king’s horseman, the horseman to the king enjoys an elaborate celebration from the market women who celebrate with their last resources in respect of the ritual suicide that the horseman (Elesin) is about to perform. They forget or pretend to forget that, such celebrations were uncalled for since the horseman enjoyed the privileges of the king while he was alive. The common people are manipulated to enrich the upper class members. These issues will be explored in-depth in the analysis of the play as they exemplify the Marxist literary theory especially from the positions of Jameson, Lukacs and Eagleton.
Furthermore, questions such as: to what extent are the character’s lives determined by social, political, and economic forces? To what extent are they aware of these forces? In addition, how does the culture of the time when the plays were written affect how political, economic, and social forces were portrayed? These and other issues will be considered when engaging in the analysis of the plays so that the full significance of suicide will be understood.
The theoretical positions of Jameson, Lukacs and Eagleton will be appropriated in the analysis especially as they encompass the questions raised as fundamental when applying Marxism to literary works.
87 3.5. Conclusion
In this chapter, I began with an introductory aspect by throwing light on the theoretical position of the study. I also highlighted the proposed evidence that gave impetus to the choice of the framework. I proceeded after providing an introductory background by looking at the ideas of the selected Marxist literary theorists for the study.
The chapter articulated the theoretical discourse of the theorists that encompass the form of Marxist literary theory useful for this study. Particular attention was paid to Fredric Jameson, Georg Lukacs and Terry Eagleton. The ideas from these theorist’s ranges but not exclusively to their inclusion of other elements or fields which its originators did not encompass. Fredrick Jameson theorised the application of an ‘eclectic Marxism’ that encompassed other issues like history, sociology, psychoanalysis, etc. This leads him towards envisioning the Marxist literary and cultural theory. Terry Eagleton further subscribed beyond
‘vulgar Marxism’ and paid attention not only to its sociological and economic nature but he also insisted that other aspects should be considered outside the text when analysing it. Georg Lukacs postulated the reflection model, which is fundamental for works of literature.
The positions of these Marxists have been considered to provide a theoretical framework for literary analysis.
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