GVU Journal of Humanities

Humour and Tragedy in Conversation: A Critical Analysis of an Ụkwụanị Folktale

Charles Alex Patrick — 2023-07-25

This paper examined the rubrics and nuances of oral narratives, paying close attention to the narrative devices, phonaesthetics resources, form and structure which enliven a folktale during a performance. The study made use of both primary and secondary sources of data. A folktale titled “'Nwa Ogbei Obodo” from an Ụkwụanị community in Delta State constitutes the primary data. The paper explored those features which give the tale the surrealistic world of fantasy typical of many tales like magic, dream motif, supernatural elements, the trickster, etc. It also explored paralinguistic elements like ideophones, hyperbole, repetition, songs, etc. all of which, in the hands of a talented artist, are artfully manipulated as narrative devices. Michael Carroll’s The Trickster as Selfish-Buffoon and Culture Hero, Isidore Okpewho’s African Oral Literature: Background, Character, and Continuity and Ademola Dasylva’s seminal work; Classificatory Paradigms in African Oral Narrative set the theoretical frameworks for the taxonomic and structural analysis of the selected tale. The study revealed that the folktale is a rescue tale imbued with a healthy interplay between tragedy and humour which excites the audience. The paper concluded that the folktale crystallises the nature of human fate and destiny just as it showed that Ụkwụanị society distastes some of the structures in society that unwittingly provide fertile grounds for hatred, jealousy, cruelty, selfishness and greed.

AN INTRA-GENDER CRITIQUE TOWARDS SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION IN SADE ADENIRAN’S IMAGINE THIS

Tolulope Rhoda OLAJUBU — 2023-07-25

Imagine This is an epistolary biography of a Nigerian girl whom circumstances of life presents a record of more life-threatening conflicts with the female folk around her

than with the male folk. Since Intra-gender conflicts (those existing within both gender groups) and several patterns of interaction among and within genders can be found in the text as, the Intra-Gender Conflict Theory is suitably applied in the objective evaluation of the female-authored literary text, which establishes the problems Lola (the protagonist) encounters with men as seemingly easily surmountable as she manoeuvres her way around them unlike those she runs into with women. This paper intends to ascertain that feminine challenges which are mostly familial, punctured by socio-cultural beliefs and with some gender connotations, can be easily conquered. This can happen if the psychological effects of those triune aspects of life on children, particularly the girl child, are considered and that the society can be made better if women can be more loving, supportive and united among fellow mature or up-coming women, in carrying out their pivotal familial and social roles towards the reconstruction and development of the rural and urban society(s).

FOLKLORES AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN SOCIETIES

Yusuf Abdullahi — 2023-07-25

In most cases, folklores have been identified to serve as means of entertainment and leisure in various African communities. The intellectual role of folklores especially on its relevance to the study of African history is often not given much attention. The essence of this paper is to discuss the relevance of folklores in the reconstruction, study and understanding of African history. Although history deals with facts while folklores deal with imagination and stories, they influence one another. Folklores, as this paper argues, are derived from the environmental, social, economic and political institutions of real life situations and thus provide the basis for understanding societal superstructures. Using largely secondary sources, this paper further explains that, folklores constitute another significant aspect of oral tradition, though seems to be less utilized by historians. This work adopted descriptive methodology of research. The study of folklores, as this paper shows, helps our understanding of traditions and cultures and relationship between people and their natural environment over a period of time. The paper finally calls for the recovery, preservation and utilization of folklores in historical writing.

Étude Contrastive des Categories Grammaticales du Français et du Yorùbá

Tanitolorun Ezekiel Oladele — 2023-09-20

Nous avons trouvé à nos jours que les étudiants yorùbáphones, apprenant le français, langue étrangère, ne sachent pas les relations entre les catégories grammaticales du français et du yorùbá leur langue maternelle. Nos expériences entant qu’enseignant du français nous ont montrées que ces apprenants auraient besoin d’une étude contrastive des éléments grammaticaux de ces deux langues afin de les aider à réduire leurs défis au niveau de la morphosyntaxique, notamment du français, leur langue cible. La théorie exploitée dans cette recherche est celle de Halliday (1978). Cette théorie établie qu’il y a toujours des points de convergences et de divergences lorsque deux langues sont comparées. En règle générale, l’ordre des mots ou des unités phrastiques ne sont pas les mêmes, ou pourraient être les mêmes dans quelques niveaux considérant les universaux langagiers. L’objectif primordial de ce travail est de faire ressortir les ressemblances et dissemblances des catégories grammaticales du français et du yorùbá. La conclusion tirée nous a clairement présenté les niveaux de convergences et de divergences de ces deux langues qui pourraient faciliter l’enseignement et l’apprentissage du français chez les étudiants yorùbáphones.

Analyse Syntaxique du roman le Pain nu de Mohamed Choukri

AKINSANYA ATCHRIMI ADEBAYO — 2023-09-20

Cette étude est intitulée Analyse Syntaxique du roman le Pain nu de Mohamed Choukri. Cette étude d’une part, cherche à analyser le roman sélectionné pour voir la manière dont l’écrivain africain a pu s'approprier le français pour créer une littérature africaine dans une langue qui n'est pas sa première langue. Et d’autre part, examiner les caractéristiques stylistiques dans ce roman choisi et la signification stylistique du choix du style de Mohamed Choukri. Les structures textuelles des phrases simples, composées et complexes sont analysées en adoptant l'approche textuelle de la métafonction développée par Halliday en 1985. L’étude de la langue du roman le pain nu nous montre le point de vue de l’écrivain et sa raison de la déviation de la norme grammaticale et de la langue littéraire laquelle sert comme d’un moyen de la libération des langues européennes et de la promotion de la littérature africaine à travers la création des œuvres africaines.

EVALUATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND RECRUITMENT OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS TO THE PERFORMANCE SOCIAL STUDIES IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION IN SELECTED AREAS OF AGEGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN LAGOS

Samuel Ola OGUNJOBI — 2024-12-22

This study evaluates the contributions of instructional materials and the recruitment of qualified teachers to the performance of Social Studies in junior secondary schools within selected areas of Agege Local Government, Lagos State, Nigeria. It explores how the availability and quality of instructional materials and teachers influence students' performance in Social Studies. A descriptive survey design was adopted, involving 133 participants selected based on their designations, including Principals, Vice-Principals (Administration), Senior Staff, and Junior Staff, using the Taro Yamane formula. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics with Chi-square tests. The findings revealed significant challenges, including inadequate teacher quality and quantity, as well as insufficient instructional materials. Chi-square analysis confirmed that both instructional materials and teacher quality significantly affect Social Studies performance, with calculated values of 19.331 and 28.211 exceeding their respective critical values. These deficiencies disrupt the educational system and reduce its overall effectiveness. However, the study identifies opportunities for improvement, such as leveraging digital tools, implementing policy reforms, and fostering collaborative efforts among stakeholders. It recommends a systems-based approach to enhance Social Studies education, emphasizing technology integration, regular teacher training and evaluation, and comparative analysis of regional teaching methods to ensure long-term sustainability.