POST-INDEPENDENCE WEST AFRICAN NARRATIVES, THEMATIC CONCERNS AND HUMAN IN/DIGNITY PARADIGMS

Abstract

The post-independence West Africa is characterized with urban development, expansion of economy, love and quest for progress, desire for success and self-fulfilment, etc. Most literary writers satirize and attack neo-colonialism because most African rulers of the post-colonial era terrorize their fellow Africans. The thematic preoccupations of most works of this era are the portrayal of injustice, social ills and tensions created by the neo-colonialists. Most of the writers demand for fairness in leadership. Literature mirrors the social, political, economic and even religious ills in the society. It cautions the society especially the ruling class for failing to live upto expectation and abandoning their proclaimed objectives and ideals. The discoveries are that most West African societies are confronted with security challenges, poverty, lack of just and strong institutions that focus on the welfare of the masses, all of which are attributed to the insensitivity of the leaders. This makes the achievement of Goal sixteen of Sustainable Development Goals very difficult. The theoretical framework for this paper is Gender Theory and the selected works for the exploration of human in/dignity paradigms are Chinua Achebe's Anthills of Savannah, A Man of the People, Festus Iyayi's Violence, and Ayi Kwei Armah's The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born. This paper recommends selfless leadership and historical reflections as ways forward.