The representation of moral turpitude in the african novel: The example of Ben Okri in the landscapes within and dangerous love

• Main Author: Williams, Brian M.
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center 1999
• Subjects: African American Studies
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/478; http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2005&context=dissertations

This study examines the portraiture of moral depravity in the African novel with specific reference to Ben Okri, and defines the authorial challenge that Okri poses to his readers. The study also explores the narrative differences between The Landscapes Within and Dangerous Love; the latter is an elaboration and revision of the former. Working under the assumption that a filiation exists in the tradition of African realism, the study undertook a comparative analysis, which includes the works of Wole Soyinka and Ayi Kwei Armah, as well as Okri. Soyinka’s and Armab’s works are used as barometers to measure changes and departures in Olcri’s depiction of post-independence life in urban Africa. The conclusions drawn from this study suggest that Okri revises the representation of moral depravity in the African novel through various techniques, which include his unique use of Yoruba creation myths and actual events such as the Biafran War. Okri’s ability to simultaneously explore individual and national consciousness through his young protagonists further defines his position in the tradition of African realism.