Literature and Social Entrepreneurship: Shadrach Ambanasom’s Artistic Vision of Dudum in Son of the Native Soil

Abstract

This paper investigates the intersection between literature and social entrepreneurship in Shadrach Ambanasom’s Son of the Native Soil. His work has been interpreted from different perspectives by scholars and researchers and the intention of this paper is not to duplicate those interpretations of meanings but to demonstrate how Ambanasom uses the above mentioned-text to lay bare his artistic vision as a social entrepreneur and identify the causes of the general human suffering in order to carve a path for the future. Through a careful reading of the text, this paper demonstrates that the problem leading to the chaotic situation in Ambanasom’s society is the lack of appropriate human resources especially at the level of those who hold major positions in the society and not just political, historical and geographical issues as many have pointed out. Through a new historicist lens, the findings revealed that the inability of some people in cardinal positions to consult their consciences and exercise justice is the main cause of the unresolved conflict in the imaginary society of Dudum. The conclusion here is that the main problem faced by this society is strictly moral. The study assumes that the leaders in key positions should act in conformity to the social normative charter to encourage development and peace.