Tess of the d'Urbervilles, a novel by Thomas Hardy is the story of a young woman from a poor family, objectified, harassed, and pursued by an older man with wealth and power over her. Unfairness dominates the lives of Tess and her family to such an extent that it begins to seem like a general aspect of human existence. The novel explores injustice and fate, nature and modernity, social criticism, paganism, christianity, etc.
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This play is written by Ahmed Yerima. The play is a story of the ruler of Sokoto, Sultan Mahammadu Attahiru, whose reign lasted no more than six months but whose efforts towards resisting colonial rule should never be forgotten. Ahmed Yerima’s eponymous play Attahiru is based on this singularly heroic act of this ruler who died on the battlefield fighting against colonial conquest and domination.
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The Triumph of the Water Lily is written by Stella Ify Osammor. It is a book about topical issues in Nigerian marriages, culture clashes, childlessness or bareness, pride and humility grief and pain, love and joy, politics, and the diverse forms of religion inherent in Nigeria. It is about qualities and values which transcend culture and ethnicity. It is also a book about the profound nature of an African thriving in the midst of adversity.
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She Stoops to Conquer is a comedy written by Oliver Goldsmith. The play centers around the desire of Hardcastle, a wealthy landowner in the country, for his daughter Kate to marry the well-educated Charles Marlow. The story addresses concealment and revelation, class distinctions, and freedom and constraint. The overriding theme of She Stoops to Conquer is how reality is often distorted by social status.
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The African Child is an autobiographical French novel by Camara Laye published in 1953. It tells the story of a young African child, Baba, growing up in Guinea. The novel centres on the Malinke tribe of French Guinea which is characterized by superstitions that influence the ways of the members of the community. The text inspires us to love our cultures and pursue our goals consistently.
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The Trials of Brother Jero is a play by Nigerian playwright Wole Soyinka. The play is a satirical-comedic play depicting the devious nature of some religious leaders who forego sound doctrine to accomplish their selfish desires, and the materialistic nature of many Christian worshippers who attend church solely for material blessings. The play conveys corruption, domestic violence, hypocrisy, materialism, etc.
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The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) is a tragic novel by English author Thomas Hardy. The Novel is about a poor and drunken young man who sells his wife and child to the highest bidder. When he awakens, sober, the next day he regrets his rash act and vows to give up drink and find his family and bring them home. Eventually, he is forced to give up the search and move on with his life. He does this quite successfully until, nearly 20 years later, his past comes back to haunt him.
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The Stillborn is a novel by Zaynab Alkali. It tells of a young woman's experiences in the recurring conflict between traditional and modern values in Africa today, reflecting the author's belief that women should strive to fulfill their potential. This novel centers around the experiences of women in contemporary Nigeria. It follows the adolescent plans and dreams of Li as she struggles for independence against the traditional values of her family home, marriage, and the lure of the city and all it can offer.
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The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a historical play and tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play addresses several themes such as Fate versus Free Will, Public Self versus Private Self, Misinterpretations and Misreadings, Inflexibility versus Compromise, Inflexibility versus Compromise, Ethics versus Politics, Tyranny, Honor, etc.
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The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born is the debut novel by Ghanaian writer Ayi Kwei Armah. The novel focuses on man's attempts to resist corruption. The novel portrays the central theme of corruption as the bane of society. The theme of corruption is explored along with other sub-themes such as poverty, social inequality, hero-worshipping, political instability, economic sabotage, solitude, and retributive justice
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Lord of the Flies is a 1954 novel by the Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding. The plot concerns a group of British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves. The novel addresses the following themes, Civilization vs. Savagery, Loss of Innocence, Struggle to Build Civilization, Man's Inherent Evil, Dangers of Mob Mentality, War and the Future of Mankind.
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The play Ovonramwen Nogbaisi written by Ola Rotimi is about Oba Ovonramwen's efforts to control a growing rebellion within his kingdom and reassert the authority of Benin over surrounding lands are further complicated by British interference in search of trade and dominion. The play focuses on the theme of history, Colonialism, Rebellion, Bravery, etc.
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Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Three witches tell the Scottish general Macbeth that he will be King of Scotland. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth kills the king, becomes the new king, and kills more people out of paranoia. Civil war erupts to overthrow Macbeth, resulting in more deaths. The play's main themes are loyalty, guilt, innocence, and fate. All deal with the central idea of ambition and its consequences
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So Long a Letter is a semi-autobiographical epistolary novel originally written in French by the Senegalese writer Mariama Bâ. So Long a Letter (French: Une si longue lettre) is a semi-autobiographical epistolary novel originally written in French by the Senegalese writer Mariama Bâ. So Long a Letter deals with multiple themes, which include the life of women in Senegal during the 1970s, family and community life, Islam and polygamy, and death rituals.
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Chinua Achebe's novel "Arrow of God" centers on the main character's battles with colonialism and Christian influences. The novel is filled which instances in which pride leads to animosity, violence, and devastation. In Arrow of God, we see that these traditions are undermined by the coming of Christianity, and the power of the British colonial office.
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