INTERROGATING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN CHUMA-UDEH NGOZI’S FORLORN FATE

Abstract

Literature stands as a mirror through which society is reflected, the major functions of literature is to replicate the happenings in every human society, encourage virtues, expose vices and proffer solutions to them. Adaptation of ecocriticism came up as the literary artist’s means of redefining man’s interest in the preservation of nature. This research investigates the Nigerian writer’s involvement in the preservation of nature, through their writings. This paper x-rays their concern for the protection of the environment from anti-natural and ecological activities such as bush burning, soil excavation, man-made erosion, oil spillage, artificial desertification, pollution, destruction of hills, mountains, and uncoordinated construction of houses. Again, this research re-evaluates the contributions of ecocriticism as a branch of literature from an interdisciplinary point of view where literary scholars analyze texts that illustrate environmental concerns in various ways with their subject matter as nature. This study intends to achieve this feat by re-examining the core environmental standpoints portrayed in Ngozi Chuma-Udeh’s Forlorn Fate to re-address environmental issues in Nigeria. The theoretical framework employed in this research is Ecocriticism. During the course of investigations, this research discovered that an objective analysis of environmental issues will bring about a certain level of control to man-made ecological problems. This research also elaborates into the discovery that the world is basically dependent on the continual and peaceful co-existence of man and nature. The method of research employed in this study is the qualitative method. The research also identified daunting efforts on the parts of the Nigerian writers to understudy and point out the hazards posed by environmental problems. This study concludes that in aligning environmental literature with politics, issues pervading Nigeria are given a literary identity and in confronting the political situations and environmental disenchantments that has affected the average, the peoples’ dilemma and environmental issues in Nigeria is brought to limelight and probable solutions proffered. This paper re-examines and interrogates aspects of environmental degradation found in Ngozi Chuma-Udeh’s Forlorn Fate.