Ochendo: An African Journal of Innovative Studies

This study examines hardship and human resilience in Otovwe Oghenerhoro's Bassey, the Mechanic, with particular attention to the interplay between social determinism and individual agency in shaping the protagonist's life trajectory. The research explores how Bassey's experiences of suffering, deprivation, and systematic neglect from childhood reflect broader socio-economic realities that constrain human potential. Employing Marxist literary theory as the primary analytical framework, the study investigates how class structures, poverty, and social inequality function as determining forces that influence character development and life chances within the narrative. In addition, existentialist thought is used as a complementary lens to highlight the protagonist's capacity for endurance, self-definition, and moral perseverance despite oppressive conditions. Through a close ...reading of the text, the paper argues that Bassey's journey from adversity to eventual social and personal transformation illustrates the tension between structural oppression and individual resilience. The study further demonstrates that while societal conditions significantly shape human experience, the narrative also affirms the possibility of agency through perseverance, ethical labour and communal support. Ultimately, Bassey, the Mechanic presents hardship not simply as a condition of suffering but as a catalyst for growth, identity formation and social mobility. This research contributes to literary discussions on class struggle, resilience and character construction in contemporary narrative fiction.

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