http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/47 2026-04-08T01:10:05Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2405 STYLISTIC CHOICES AND FUNCTIONS IN SELECTED NOVELS OF CALIXTHE BEYALA JIBRIN, Lucy Jummai Francophone novels, including Calixthe Beyala’s, are prominent for their stylistic choices and aesthetics. Previous studies on Calixthe Beyala's novels focused largely on feminism, anti-patriarchal preoccupation and graphical portrayals of sex and violence, with little attention paid to the connection between stylistic features and thematic concerns. This study was, therefore, designed to examine stylistic choices and functions in the novel of Calixthe Beyala, with a view to determining the stylistic strategies deployed to negotiate meaning in relation to her socio-cultural context. M.A.K Haliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar was adopted as the framework, while the interpretative design was used. Four novels of Calixthe Beyala, were purposefully selected because of their thematic and stylistic relevance. The texts were subjected to the ‘explication de texte’. Five linguistic choices are deployed in the novels: diction, sentence structure, literary tone, figurative expressions and sound devices. Diction is seen in the use of pidgin ‘mec’, ‘caca’ and ‘babingues’ in TTT, derogatory words ‘pute’ in TTT and word contractions ‘p’tet’ in MAA, as the language of the narrators to reflect familiar situations and that of characters in their regular interactions. The variation in sentence structure captures the multiple layers of the characters’ feelings and attitude. Short and truncated sentences are used for exclamation ‘Grand Dieu!’ in MAA, derogation ‘t’es malade ou quoi?’ in CSB and expression of snub ‘pourquoi pas a Paris?’ in TTT. The tone is set by the attitudes and feelings of the narrators or some characters: sadness in Aissatou's song in CCM expressing unreciprocated love, disillusionment by Mariam (MAA) whose expectation of a better life crashes in spite of her migration to France, pessimism about African men's show of affection to their spouses in MAA. Figurative expression, rooted in African oral traditions such as proverbs and metaphors are used in the texts. The proverbs ‘a chaque jour suffit sa peine’ in CSM, and ‘le vent a des oreilles’ in TTT convey fatalism and wisdom. Metaphoric expressions such as ‘l’acceuil est glacial’ in CSB and ‘tu as des mains de passoir’ in TTT explicate coldness of mothers’ unwelcoming towards their daughters who come home empty-handed and women’s extravagant lifestyles. Sound devices such as reiteration, syntactic parallelism and dialogue are deployed for narrative aesthetics. The reiteration of ‘je voulais…’ in CSB conveys the obsession of a wish, while musicality is enforced with rhythmic reiteration. Syntactic parallelism runs across the texts. In CCM, Aissatou reacts four times ‘un temps pour…’ with corresponding syntactical relations ‘partir’, ‘retrouver’, ‘perdre’ and ‘revenir’, to heighten a pleasing melody. Beyala uses dialogue copiously in TTT, CCM and CSB to express feelings. Ada in CSB addresses Jean: ‘ceux qui s'occupent des culottes et oublient de s'occuper de la carrotte …’ to evoke the resonance of ‘culottes’ and ‘carrotte’ Stylistic choices in Calixthe Beyala's novel are characterised by diction, syntactic structure, literary tone, figurative expressions and sound devices that reflect situations, feelings and masculinity. 2023-08-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1935 SOCIO-PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED IVORIAN STAND-UP COMEDY AKINADE, Esther Oluwaseun Stand-up Comedy (SUC), a form of entertainment involving humour, is commonly deployed for social re-engineering among Africans, including Ivorians. Extant linguistic studies on humour in Côte d’Ivoire concentrated mainly on the semiotic analysis of satirical cartoons and mechanisms of humour observed in humorous press (Gbich) in Cote d’Ivoire. However, little attention was paid to the socio-pragmatic dynamics of SUC. This study was, therefore, designed to examine socio-pragmatic dynamics of humour in routines of selected Ivorian Stand-up Comedians (ISUCNs), with a view to determining the discourse issues, linguistic resources and humour strategies in the routines. Dell Hymes’ Ethnography of Communication, complemented by Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson’s Relevance Theory, was adopted as the framework. The descriptive design was used. Purposive sampling was deployed for the selection of seven ISUCNs because they featured regularly in ‘Bonjour’ nights (Ivorian annual comic programme ushering every New Year) organised by Radio-Télévision Ivoirienne. They were Agalawal, Papitou, La Flamme de l’Estanguer (FE), Mala Adamo, Les Zinzins de l’Art (ZA), Joel and EnK2K. Seven routines (one for each) were purposively selected from the 2018 edition of Bonjour recorded on DVD based on their preponderant engagement of socio-political issues. The data were subjected to socio-pragmatic analysis. Four discourse issues were identified: economic hardship (Agalawal, Papitou, FE and ZA), bad governance (Agalawal, Mala Adamo, FE and ZA), unemployment (Agalawal, FE, ZA and Joel) and marital unfaithfulness (Papitou and EnK2K). These discourse issues were to mirror the key socio-political problems in Côte d’Ivoire. Four linguistic resources were deployed: wordplay, repetition, formulaic expressions and code switching. Wordplay (all comedians) was deployed to display creative playful manipulation of words. Repetition (Joel, Agalawal, FE and ZA) was utilised to determine the rhythmic flow of the jokes and to make many ideas clearer and memorable. Formulaic expressions (all comedians) were used to plan time and to make the pauses shorter or less frequent. Code switching (Joel, FE, Agalawal, EnK2K and Mala Adamo), which involves Standard French, Popular African French (Nouchi), English, Arabic and native languages (Baoulé and Malinké), was deployed to display linguistic competence of the comedians in catering for the linguistic diversities of Ivorians. Six humour strategies were employed: ridicule, allusion, irreverent behaviour, absurdity, imitation and irony. Ridicule (all comedians) was employed to deride socio-political problems verbally and nonverbally. Allusion (Agalawal) was used to make indirect reference to incumbent Ivorian president. Irreverent behaviour (Agalawal, Papitou and Mala Adamo) was employed to show the lack of proper respect for authority. Absurdity (Mala Adamo) was deployed to present situations that go against all logical rules. Imitation (Papitou and FE) was employed to mimic little children and religious leaders while presenting socio-political problems. Irony (ZA and Mala Adamo) was used to satirise the socio-political problems in Côte d’Ivoire. Ivorian Stand-up Comedians engage socio-political issues through the deployment of humour and linguistic choices in their routines. 2023-09-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1933 ORATURE IN THE POETRY OF SELECTED FRANCOPHONE WEST AFRICAN NEGRITUDE POETS ADEFARASIN, Victoria Adeola Orature, a literature that is oral, is evident in African poetry, including that of Francophone West African Negritude poets. Previous studies on West African Francophone poetry focused on form, content and style with little attention paid to elements of orature in the poems. This study was therefore, designed to examine features of orature in the selected poems of Negritude poets, with a view to determining the literary features of orature and their implications for Francophone African society. Homi Bhabha’s postcolonial postulations on cultural hybridity served as the framework, while the interpretive design was used. Four Negritude poets were examined: Leopold Sedar Senghor, from the collections Oeuvre poétique (OP), Birago Diop Leurres et lueurs (LL), David Diop Coup de pilon (CP); and Bernard Dadié Hommes de tous les continents (HC) were purposively selected based on their thematic relevance. The data were subjected to literary analysis. Four features were deployed across the selected poems and categorised as: Figurative expressions, Sound devices, Code-mixing and Code-switching. Figurative expressions common to the poems that are related to orality include, apostrophe and metaphor, among others. The apostrophic expression is used to recall African religious chants, eulogise individuals and invoke the forces of nature. Apt metaphor is found in “Les Vautours” (CP), “Vanité” (LL) “sèche tes pleurs, Afrique” (HC) and “Femme Noire” (OP). The metaphorical expression in “Les Vautours” (OP) describes the European Missionaries as vultures who came to exploit Africans. Allegorical metaphor is displayed in “Vanité” (LL); it demonstrates the wickedness of the Whites to the Blacks. Sound devices that manifest in the poems include chant, song, incantation and initiation rites. Chant runs across all the poems; it appears in “Chant des rameurs” (LL). Song also manifests in “Le Tam-tam” (CP), lncantation and initiation rites are displayed in “incantation” (LL) and “Chant de l’initié” (OP). Code-mixing involves intra-sentential and extra-sentential expressions. Intra-sentential code-mixing is deployed in Oeuvre Poetique (OP) in “Lettre a un prisonnier” where French and Wolof language are being code-mixed “Ngom! Champion de Tyané” while extra-sentential code-mixing is employed in CP in the poem “Rama-Kam” where French and Wolof are combined many times: “Le Tam-tam Rama-Kam, le Tam-tam tendu comme un sexe de victoire”. Codeswitching involves English and French inter-sentential expressions in CP particularly in “Le temps du Martyre”, “Hé boy, un Berger, une serviette, de l’eau!”. Linguistic varieties in the poems are used to frame African identity. The selected Francophone African Negritude poets deploy features of Orature to promote African unity and an identity that provide convergence for both oral tradition and written orality. 2023-08-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1826 A MASCULINIST INVESTIGATION OF MALE REPRESENTATIONS IN SELECTED FEMINIST NOVELS OF CALIXTHE BEYALA TOKUNBO, YEKINI MOUHAMMED Representations of the male in feminist discourse generally tend towards the negative. Existing studies on male representations have focused on the feminist perspective, with little attention paid to the masculinist viewpoint. This study is, therefore, designed to examine the representations of masculinity in male characters of Calixthe Beyala, with a view to balancing perspectives on male representations. Robert W. Connell’s Masculinity Theory is adopted as the framework, while the interpretive design is employed. Two novels of Calixthe Beyala―Le Petit prince de Belleville (Petit) and Maman a un amant (Maman)―were purposively selected based on their demonstration of the masculinity types. The novels were subjected to explication de text. Four major masculinity types were identified in the male characters of the selected novels: the hegemonic, the complicit, the subordinate and the marginalised masculinities. Hegemonic masculinity is exhibited by male characters in the community of Belleville, such as Abdou, Monsieur Kaba and the police men: as seen in their domineering, violent and exploitative relationships with women in both Petit and Maman. Hegemonic masculinity is observed in the ways patriarchal characters like Abdou invested much in ensuring that their male children sustain patriarchy: Abdou’s interdiction des tâches ménagères (forbids his son from participating in house chores) in Petit and Maman. Toxic hegemonic masculinity of the male characters towards the female characters in Petit and Maman leads to unwanted pregnancies and prostitution by Aminata and Esther, divorces for Mathilda and M’am, and death for Soumana in Petit. Complicit masculinity is identified as benign towards women. There are men like Kouam, Laforêt and Inspector Antoine whose masculinity is benevolent towards their wives in Petit and Maman. Kouam overlooks his wife’s excesses by allowing her to smoke, drink and go to bars, which is unacceptable for a Muslim wife; while Laforêt supports Caroline’s decision to leave him to cater for three children in Petit and Maman. Subordinate masculinity is found in homosexuals: gays and lesbians like Nkomo and Mathilda are portrayed as persecuted members of the society in Petit. The homophobic men of Belleville perceive Nkomo as a whore, who sleeps with his male bosses for promotions in Petit. They judge Kouam as unmanly, because his wife left him and became a lesbian in Petit. Marginalised masculinity is exhibited in the dynamics of the relationship between the subjugated blacks and the white supremacists, which is depicted in Abdou’s powerlessness before his white rival, Monsieur Tichit, who seduces and sleeps with his wife M’am in Maman. Marginalised masculinity is perceived in the fear of the black men of Belleville in confronting the white man that eloped with Abdou’s wife in Maman. Their initial bravado became emasculation before a superior white supremacist masculinity. Marginalised masculinity is shown also in the helplessness of Abdou and other black men in Belleville against the racism of the white policemen in Maman. Calixthe Beyala’s deployment of the hegemonic, complicit, subordinate and marginalised masculinities in Petit and Maman, balances the customary malevolent portrayals of men in feminist novels. 2022-10-01T00:00:00Z