Women of Owu, and for Love of Biafra
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i IHEK WEME, CHIKERENWA KINGSLEY PG/M.A/11/61263 WAR AND TERRORISM IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIAN DRAMA: A PSYCHOANALYTIC STUDY OF MADMEN AND SPECIALISTS, WOMEN OF OWU, AND FOR LOVE OF BIAFRA DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND FILM STUDIES FACULTY OF ARTS Digitally Signed by: Content manager’s Name DN : CN = Webmaster’s name Ameh Joseph Jnr O= University of Nigeria, Nsukka OU = Innovation Centre ii TITLE PAGE WAR AND TERRORISM IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIAN DRAMA: A PSYCHOANALYTIC STUDY OF MADMEN AND SPECIALISTS , WOMEN OF OWU , AND FOR LOVE OF BIAFRA BY IHEKWEME, CHIKERENWA KINGSLEY PG/M.A/11/61263 DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND FILM STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA JUNE, 2013 CERTIFICATION iii This is to certify that IHEKWEME, Chikerenwa Kingsley, a postgraduate student of Theatre and Film Studies with registration number PG/M.A/11/61263, has satisfactorily completed the research/project requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Arts (M.A) in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. This project is original and has not been submitted in part or whole for any other degree of this or any other University. SUPERVISOR: Dr Uche- Chinemere Nwaozuzu Signature ___________________ Date ______________________ APPROVAL PAGE iv This project report by Ihekweme, Chikerenwa Kingsley PG/M.A/11/61263 has been approved by the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. BY _________________________ _____________________ Dr Uche Chinemere Nwaozuzu Prof. Emeka Nwabueze Supervisor Head of Department ____________________ External Examiner v DEDICATION To All victims and casualties of war and terror in Nigeria Especially those who still suffer mentally from their losses vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I appreciate the kindness and meticulousness of my lecturer and supervisor, Dr Uche- Chinemere Nwaozuzu for accepting to guide me. His efforts and well guided advices have translated positively to the knowledge being derived from this work. I thank Professor Emeka Nwabueze for making things easier for me. He enabled me to achieve my dreams this far. I must also not forget his distinguished ability at knowledge delivery. My thanks also go to Dr. Felix Egwuda- Ugbeda for his kind acceptance to read my work and the commendable suggestions he made; his inputs helped a lot. I am severally indebted to Dr Ngozi Udengwu for her motherly encouragement, advice and assistance. I am particularly grateful to Drs: Ifeanyi Ugwu, Obi Okeke, Chinenye Amaonyeze, Mr John Igbonekwu, Miss Nneka Ibeli, Miss Lien Ogechi, and Mrs Onah. I am grateful to Mr Richard Khan, Ugochukwu Anigbogwu, and Augustina Obah. Professor (Rev. Fr.) John Iheanyi Obilor, Assoc. Prof Kalu Okpi, Mr Emeka Nwosu (JP) of the Imo State University and Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education Owerri are appreciated for their help and scholarly roles in my educational quest. I will not forget Dr Tobinson Briggs of the University of Port Harcourt for his advice and love. I thank Lolo Victoria Mbalu, Mrs: Magaret Njoku, Theresa Ikeagwu, and Bernadine Opara, my early school teachers, for their encouragement and support. I am not forgetting the staff of the Biafrana Section of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Library, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Library Owerri for providing me with research materials that helped me put my work into a cogent whole. Finally, I remain thankful to my parents, brothers, sister- in- law and her children for their unflinching show of love and support. vii ABSTRACT The psychology of war and terrorism in Nigeria is insidiously portraying a devastating trend as are the challenges faced in understanding the dimensions of human trauma and suffering that are involved. The costs have been evidenced as war and terrorism are often characterized by large scale displacement, economic loss and death. Apparent in the environment is the disturbing level of psychic bereft and disillusionment which war masters and terrorists inflict on their victims and casualties. No individual is ever counted as sacred, as from the children to the youth, and to aged, the destruction it fraughts lacks identification. In Madmen and Specialists , Women of Owu , and For Love of Biafra ; Soyinka, Osofisan and Adichie unearth the various dimensions of war and terror and the responses of characters to their impact. Articulating these turmoils have been the backdrop of how Nigerians react to issues of war and terrorism. Therefore, this work is a psychoanalytic appraisal of the texts in the light of the topic being discussed. It tacitly submits that, if not checked, since the problems of war and terrorism can hardly ever be solved, the growing examples of this trend in Nigeria today, may well lead to a future challenge in clinical and mental abuse. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Title --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i Certification------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ii Approval--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iii Dedication---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------iv Acknowledgement--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- v Abstract ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------vi CHAPTER ONE GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1.1 Statement of the Problem ----------------------------------------------------------------------3 1.2 Research Questions -----------------------------------------------------------------------------5 1.3 Objectives of the Study -------------------------------------------------------------------------5 1.4 Significance of the Study ----------------------------------------------------------------------6 1.5 Delimitation/Scope of the Study -- -----------------------------------------------------------7 1.6 Methodological Justification ------------------------------------------------------------------8 1.7 Theoretical Framework ------------------------------------------------------------------------9 CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF SCHOLARSHIP 2.1 War and Terrorism in Mythic Historification ----------------------------------------------12 2.2 War: Conceptual Analysis, History, Motivations, Impact, Dimensions, and Theories -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------12 ix 2.3 Terrorism: Conceptual Analysis, History, Motivations, Impact, Dimensions, and Theories ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18 2.4 War and Communal Conflict in Contemporary Nigeria -------------------------------- 23 2.5 Terrorism in Contemporary Nigeria --------------------------------------------------------30 2.6 Psychoanalysis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------35 CHAPTER THREE TEXTUAL SUMMARY AND IMPACT OF WAR AND TERRORISM ON THE CHARACTERS/VICTIMS 3.1 Summary of Selected Text ------------------------------------------------------------------ 42 3.2 Physical Manifestations of War and Terrorism ------------------------------------------- 47 3.3 Moral Manifestations of War and Terrorism ---------------------------------------------- 54 3.4 Psychological Manifestations of War and Terrorism ------------------------------------ 63 CHAPTER FOUR RESPONSE OF CHARACTERS/VICTIMS TO INVASION OF WAR AND TERRORISM AND PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE 4.1 War and Terrorism as Politics of Dying, Death and Disillusionment ----------------- 74 4.2 Grieving and Suffering under the Actuality of War and Terrorism -------------------- 85 4.3 Signification of the Wars and Terrorizations within the Formative of Psychoanalysis -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 93 x CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS 5.1 Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 102 5.2 Conclusion ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 103 5.3 Suggestions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 103 WORK CITED 1 CHAPTER ONE GENERAL INTRODUCTION Nigeria is increasingly being devastated by war and terrorism. The psychological impact and response to its invasion by Nigerians and on the landscape have also been evident. The dictum of no victor no vanquished that had followed the ruins of the 1967-1970 civil war has become a rouse more with the gory tales of recent acts of terror and aggressive wars in many parts of the country, especially in the north. In Nigeria, war and terrorism have become critical factors in the espousing and furthering of certain political, economic and religious ideologies that result in suffering, dying and death. More so, the differences in culture, religion, appeal and appreciation of the segments and various tribes in the country have largely been exposed by these social problems. It has further worsened the internalization of the nation Nigeria as an entity by those who have fallen victims. Blames and counter mental agonies have found laxities in the British colonial role of merging the various tribes. If it is not the Muslims killing the Christians and destroying public infrastructure, then, it is one part of the country or state or community up in arms against another, and vice versa. One of the greatest disasters of contemporary Nigeria is the exiling of citizens from their places of living and