International Journal of Language & Literature

PROTEST IN WOMEN-CENTRED LITERARY DRAMA: Julie Okoh’s Edewede and Irene Salami-Agunloye’s More Than Dancing in Focus
Eziechine Augustine Obiajulu, PhD

Abstract
Nigerian literary drama from its inception to date has ever remained committed to the social realities of its time. From the days of the first generation dramatists to the present literary dramatic engagements, drama has remained relevant to the emerging trends of discourses in Nigeria. It has been deployed as a means of evaluating and possibly interrogating the socio-cultural and political realities in the country. The dramatists challenge and protest against all forms of social ills such as gender inequality, injustice, oppression, dehumanization, unemployment, and unhealthy cultural practices among others. Literary artists consciously reflect these frightening and undemocratic realities in their works, calling on the masses to rise up against their oppressors. Female writers are not left out in this subversive literary enterprise. This work therefore focuses on the dramatic expeditions of Irene Salami-Agunloye and Julie Okoh who have deployed drama as a means of protesting against the oppression, subjugation and marginalization of women in Nigeria. These issues are amplified in More than Dancing by Irene Salami- Agunloye and Edewede by Julie Okoh. The paper is premised on the Marxist and socialist feminist theories, These theories encourage the application of revolutionary forces as a means of seeking positive changes. The paper concludes that protest and revolt may not completely seize in Nigeria until injustice, inequality and indeed all oppressive structures in Nigeria are demolished.

Full Text: PDF      DOI: 10.15640/ijll.v10n1a8