IMAGERY AND SETTING IN AYI KWEI ARMAH’S THE BEAUTYFUL ONES ARE NOT YET BORN

Abstract

This work introduces the major variable in this research topic as well as gives a brief background of the text adopted for critical analysis. The text selected for the study, therefore will focus on the concept of imagery and settings as well as its relevance to the novel. This research examines imagery and settings in this novel: Ayi Kwei Armah’s The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born.  This work focuses on the theory of Marxism. The theory will then focus on the thematic concern of imagery and settings of the text selected for the study. A fiction which ponders on the corruption that pervades Ghana even after independence, the novel reveals interesting societal vices through the hero, The Man. This study mainly investigates the imagery and settings, stylistic features in the novel hinging heavily on the theory of cohesion in discourse, and reveals that various stylistic features are used by the novelist to communicate the writer’s thematic concerns Armah has successfully shown in the text above how the political independence of 1957 in Ghana has failed to lessen the yoke of colonialism from the common people in Ghana.

        CHAPTER ONE

                                        INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

As distinct from character, theme, and plot, symbol, imagery occurs primarily in language, in the metaphors (i.e. comparisons), similes (comparisons with “like” or “as”), or other forms of figurative (pictorial) language in a literary work. Sometimes setting, i.e., the locality or placing of scenes, or stage props (like swords, flowers, blood, winecups) can also be considered under the rubric of imagery. But whatever the expression, images primarily are visual and concrete, i.e., things which the reader sees or can imagine seeing. Some examples are flowers, tears, animals, the moon, sun, stars, diseases, floods, metals, darkness and light. In this study imagery and symbols shall be used interchangeably.

A symbol was defined according to Northrop Frye in his book “Anatomy of criticism” is something such as object, picture, written word, sound or particular mark that represents something else by association resemblance or convention for example, a red octagon may be a symbol for “stop”. On map crossed sabres may indicate a battlefield. All language consists of symbols personal numerals are symbols for numbers names are symbols representing individuals. Swiss Psychoanalyst Carl Jung, who studied archetypes, proposed an alternative definition of symbol distinguishing it from the term sign. In Jung’s view, a sign stands for something known, as a word stands for its referent. He contrasted this with imagery which he used to stand for something that is unknown and that cannot be made clear or precise. An example of a imagery in this sense is Christ as a image or symbol of the archetype called self. Decadence according to Oscar Wilde; he gave a curious definition “Classicism in the subordination of the parts to the whole, decadence is the subordination of the whole to the parts”.

Symbol is different from Anecdote which is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mol. An anecdote is always presented as based on a red incident involving actual persons, whether famous on not usually in an identifiable place, also figure of speech is use or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it, such as a metaphor, simile and personification etc. Figures of speech often provide emphasis freshness of expression or clarity. Clarity may also suffer from their use as any figures of speech introduce an ambiguity between literal and figurative interpretation. A figure of speech of sometime called rhetoric or a locution. Moreover, Metaphor on the other hand is a figure of speech, in which an implied comparism is made between two unlike things that actually have something important in common.  Metaphor is a Greek word meaning ‘to transfer’ or ‘carry across’, quality or state can be compared without using the words like or as. It is thus a condensed form of simile. Imagery is different from Symbol, it is a form of mental images, figures or likeness as of some images. Collectively the imagery or a dream, pectoral images collectively, especially those produced by the activity of imagination.

 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, An Anatomy of ‘Shit’” states that “the author of The beautiful Ones sees the very fabric of Ghanaian society as a shit.” Armah’s use of the belligerent, offensive and highly profane words “shits” and especially “fuck” is a novelty in African Literature. Why does Armah freely use these words? Does it stem from his stay in America where the word “fuck” is used loosely in the informal and domestic situation? Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia states: Fuck is an English word that is generally considered profane, that in its most literal meaning refers to the act of sexual intercourse. However, by extension it may be used to negatively characterize anything that can be dismissed, disdained, defiled, or destroyed. The imagery setting of the state of Ghana as depicted by the author of the beautiful once are not yet born has erupt controversy among scholars. It is in view of this that the researcher deem the study needful.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to examine the imagery and setting in Ayi Kwei Armah’s the beautiful once are not yet born; but to aid the completion of the study, the researcher intend to achieve the following specific objectives;

1. i) To examine the imagery symbols of decadence in our society
2. ii) To ascertain the extent in which decadence cause trauma and loss of hope in the human society

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is believed that at the completion of the study, the study will be of importance to the student of English and literary studies as the findings of the study will contribute to the pool of existing literature on the subject matter and also contribute to knowledge, the study will also be useful to researchers who intend to embark on a study in a similar topic as the study will serve as a reference point to further research. Finally, the study will be of importance to students, teachers, academia’s and the general public as the study will contribute to the pool of existing literature on the subject matter.

1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The methodology of this work focuses on the theory of Marxism theory. The theory will then focus on the thematic concern of imagery and settings of the text selected for the study. The thematic concern incorporates sub-themes in the story that will revolve around this major theme to develop the elements in the theory for the analysis.

The population for the study is textual population under study are not real human being, but characters that are rigid in a story are accessible. The text used which represent the struggle of individual in The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born. We have some characters that share different perspective on the view of imagery and settings. The author pick-out some character to represent the corrupt society, Armah create a gap between the haves and have not.

Joseph Koomson also known as Joe Koomson represents the rich and ‘The Man’ represent the poor in the society.

We can then imply that the author have stratified the population the text, thus the stratified sampling will be adopted for study. The discourse of the major character will be used to focus on the major theme of the text alongside the elements identifiable in the Marxism theory

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study is very wide, as the research variables imagery and settings is a concept that is interrelated and wide in scope but the research limits its scope to the issues of imagery and settings in the text adopted for the study.

The imagery and setting are issue that require of relevant and adequate attention as they affect the human society. Ayi Kwei Armah addresses the ills of the society  and all the channels of perpetrating these vices in the community. These issues are those that the study addresses and the limit will be on the vices as they eat into the deep core of the society.

1.7 AUTHORS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Ayi Armah was born at Sekondi-Takoradi a place now called Ghana in 1939. He attended Secondary School at Achimota College and Groton, he went to Harvard to get a degree in Sociology and Columbia to get an MFA in creative Writing. He has worked as a translator and a teacher at Amherst and the University of Wisconsin at Madison as well as several African Institutions.

Armah was also an editor of Jeune Afrique in 1968-1969 and it shows the intense concern with social and political commitment which was further energized by the atmosphere of increasing political activism, he encountered in United State especially among African and American.

His first novel The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born was published in (1968). It is still in print and is considered a Modern African classic. He has written numerous novels which include Fragments (1970) Why Are We So Blest? (1974) and Two Thousand Seasons in (1979).

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