SOCIAL CLASS AND IDENTITY IN CHINUA ACHEBE’S THINGS FALL APART AND NO’VIOLET BULAWAYO WE NEED NEW NAMES

ABSTRACT

Social class and identity are two vital concepts that determine the personality and social relationship of individuals. As such, both concepts define the way people relate within their society. Chinua Achebe and No’violet Bulawayo in their text Things Fall Apart (1958) and We Need New Names (2014) respectively showed how social class creates certain identities through some notable characters in the two texts. This research however exposed how class stratification and identity define the relations of people within the society through class structure.  This research however adopted social realism as its theory. Social realism as a theory gives a glaring spotlight on the lives of characters as a means of criticizing the social structures that keep them in place. This study further discussed reality of happenings as they occurred in the contemporary African society by considering the speeches, actions and events that portrayed social class and identity as well as implementing the authors’ intentions and perspectives. The method of investigation adopted is social realism theory which was used to espouse the reality between social class and identity. It is ascertained by some scholars that social class and identity are vital pillars in building a strong African society; it is in this regard that this study has showed the links between these concepts and revealed specific examples through Things Fall Apart and We Need New Names and equally established the vital roles that both concepts can play in constructing a positive African society.

Keywords: Social class, social realism, identity, personality, Africa, society, African literature.

TableofContent

CERTIFICATION III

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IV

DEDICATION V

ABSTRACT VI

CHAPTER:ONE 1

GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1

1.0.INTRODUCTION 1

1.1.Aims  and Objectives 2

1.2.Statement of the Problem 2

1.3.Purpose of the Study 3

1.4.Significance of the Study 3

1.5.Scope of the Study 3

1.6.Methodology and theoretical Framework 4

CHAPTER TWO 5

LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.0.HISTORIOGRAPHICAL SURVEY OF AFRICAN LITERATURE 5

2.1.Literature,Social Class and Identity. 7

2.3.Social Realism:An Overview 10

2.4.Literature and Class Stratification 11

CHAPTER THREE 13TEXTUALANALYSISOFCHINUAACHEBE’STHINGSFALLAPART13

3.0.BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF CHINUA ACHEBE 13

3.1.Synopsis of Things Fall Apart 14

3.2.Analysis of the Major Characters 15

3.3.Social Class,Identity And Realism In Things Fall Apart 

3.3.1.Social Realist View of Things Fall Apart 23

3.3.2. Gender as a Social Construct 27

CHAPTER FOUR 31

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF NO'VIOLET BULAWAYO’S WE NEED NEW NAMES3

14.0.BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF NO’VIOLET BULAWAYO 31

4.1Synopsis of We Need NewNames 32

4.2.Analysis Of Major Characters In We Need New Names 

4.3Social Class And Identity In We Need New Names 35

4.3.1SocialRealist ViewofParadise 39

4.4.2.ImpactofSocial ClassonDarlingsIdentity 43

4.4.3.Gender as a Social Construct. 45

CHAPTER FIVE 47

5.0.INTRODUCTION 47

5.1.Summary 48

5.2.Findings 49

5.3.Conclusion 5

References