Nature Depleted: An Ecocritical Reading of Yerima’s Ipomu and Mbajiorgu’s Wake Up Everyone

ABSTRACT

Environmental degradation and its attendant climatic changes pose threats to human existence on earth. In the last few decades, there have been conscious efforts in literary studies to attain a recognition for literature as a worthy medium for ecological awakening and as a catalyst for the urgency for protecting planet earth. Dramatists have joined in the conscious artistic efforts for ecological preservation. Aligned with this background, this paper explores human exploitative activities on natural resources and their dreadful implications on the people of the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Through the lens of ecocriticism – a theoretical approach to literature oriented around concerns surrounding the environment and more-than-human world – a critical analysis of the two plays is made. It is argued that the plays go beyond the exploration of the devastating effects of oil spillage and flood on the people in the creek, to demonstrate that the earth is dying and at war with humans.

KEYWORDS:

• Environmental degradation
• ecocriticism
• niger delta creeks
• oil spillage
• flood
• drama

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Olabisi Bukola Ogunmodede

Olabisi Bukola Ogunmodede (Ph.D.) is a researcher in literary criticism and gender studies. Her current research focus is in the area of gender attribution in African dramatic literature. She has to her credit a number of scholarly publications in reputable journals.

Dennis Kolawole Olaniyan

Kolawole Dennis Olaniyan is a doctoral degree candidate at Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti. His research focus is on literary criticism, African dramatic literature and poetry.

Omolara Kikelomo Owoeye

Omolara Kikelomo Owoeye (Ph.D.) is a professor of African literature at Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. Her research interest is in African drama, literary criticism and gender studies. She has published over 30 articles in reputable local and international journals.

Samuel Ayodele Dada

Dada Samuel Ayodele is a Professor of English Linguistics in the Department of English and Literary Studies, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. His research interest includes Sociolinguistics, Applied Linguistics, Stylistics and Pragmatics. His research outlet includes both reputable local and international journals.