Abstract
The global outcry of ecological degradation by mankind has been the thematic focus in the creative oeuvres of writers and eco-critics in the literary domain as regards the degraded Niger Delta region of Nigeria and its consequent activism amongst her people. In view of the foregoing, this research in distancing itself from previous studies, seeks to examine the politics in the representation of ecological degradation and activism in the Niger settings of Tanure Ojaide’s The Activist and Christie Watson’s Tiny Sunbirds Far Away . Furthermore, this study equally examines points of similarities and differences within the dynamics of degradation of places and characters as well as resultant reactions among characters in both novels. This study deploys an eco-critical approach as its theoretical framework. Based on the findings of this study, it is evident that the unguided oil exploration activities by multinational oil companies as well as self-induced actions among characters spell doom on the environment as both living and non-living things become negatively affected in all ramifications. This study also reveals various forms of eco-activism ranging from radical, liberal, civil, conservative to revolutionary standpoints among characters in both texts. It is concluded that the two authors, though from different socio-cultural backgrounds used both texts as channels of creating global awareness towards promoting environmental conservation and various means of entrenching peace in the fictional devastated Niger Delta environment. Keywords : Eco-degradation, Activism, Politics, Environment, Niger Delta Region DOI : 10.7176/JLLL/52-06
Highlights
The dominance and ignorant dispositions of human beings towards the life of the environment and its inhabitants has been generating passionate concern among writers all over the world
Based on these unwholesome situations, there are a lot of struggles and violence among the Niger Delta people whose plights seem not to have received adequate attention by the concerned oil companies and the government in particular. This negligible condition, in no doubt has attracted a great deal of concern among ecocritics both within and outside Nigeria in exposing those worrisome issues affecting the region as regards its environment and people as thematic preoccupations in their various creative works
The use of literary outputs which abound in recent times with special interest on the Niger Delta environment towards creating environmental consciousness and awareness on the reading public by writers validates the view of Rueckert (1996:107) that “the intention of most ecologists [including ecocritics] is to find ways of keeping the human community from destroying the natural community...”
Summary
The dominance and ignorant dispositions of human beings towards the life of the environment and its inhabitants has been generating passionate concern among writers all over the world. In the light of the above, topical issues of ecological degradation and its grave impacts on human and nonhuman beings as well as diverse manner of activism are evident in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria This very region is blessed with oil as natural resources and has been exploited by multinational oil companies with its environment being devastated through oil exploration activities and other harmful human dispositions. Anchoring on these stated objectives, this paper argues that ecological degradation and activism are distinctive underlying issues that thrive in the Niger Delta setting of both novels
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