Marxism and Sam Aihimegbe’s Blood in the Creek

Abstract

Marxist theory or Marxist criticism, one of the theories used in literary criticism, is based on the ideologies of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels who argue that all societies (with the exception of primitive hunter/gatherers) are divided along class lines and are characterised by class struggle. This paper examines Sam Aihimegbe’s Blood in the Creek as a reflection of Marx’s explanation regarding the class struggle between the bourgeoisie and proletariat resulting from economic, political and social imbalances. Marxism here is used as a lens to unveil how the capitalists: Government, their friends and oil companies explore the oil resources of Odi and other parts of the Niger Delta only for their financial benefits without consideration of the proletariat, the working class. In the face of uneven distribution of resources among the strata of the society, the masses revolt and this revolution is met with stiff resistance from the oil benefactors. This paper argues that studying Blood in the Creek from a Marxist perspective assists to reveal layers of crisis between the capitalist and the working class. It uses literature to x-ray oil issues raised in the narrative, and seeks to proffer solution to the crisis between the bourgeoisie and proletariat.