The Old Man and the Medal is a 1956 post-colonial novel by Cameroonian diplomat and writer Ferdinand Oyono. The whole book is about the old man called Meka who has lost his two sons and the land that he gave to the whites. He is now very old and lives a very poor life. The novel explores hypocrisy; oppression; nepotism; racism/racial discrimination, etc.
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Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The play is a tragedy that explores the theme of friendship, madness, and revenge. Hamlet revolves around the notions of deep revenge, and psychological problems similar to madness and portrays the political and ethical corruptions of the time. The play is basically centered around King Hamlet’s death.
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This novel is written by Ayi Kwei Armah. In Fragments, Ayi Kwei Armah once again tackles the mindset of society; a society that has lost its focus in life; one that consistently puts materiality above morality; one that has sold its core values in return for flashes of enjoyment, even if those flashes lead to corruption and rot in the society. The book explores the themes of neo-colonialism, alienation, nationalism, and nation-building and offers some very useful insights into grappling with the present African condition
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The New Man is written by Femi Ademiluyi. This novel centers around a man who thought he could change the world, but the world changed him. It tells the story of a man 'Ayo Badejo' who gets posted to a corrupt community in a corrupt nation to render his service, he was determined to change the corrupt situation and stand distinct as the new man for a change. Unfortunately, he is forced into a situation in which he has to kill. Sentenced to death for murder, Ayo vows not to die in jail. In jail, Ayo becomes a different person, a deadly new man.
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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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