Tribalism as Thematic Concern in Chukwuemeka Ike’s Toads for Supper
Tribalism and the personal response to it are issues of concern in the Nigerian society across various spheres of life. Creative narratives abound on this disturbing issue and one of such is Chukwuemeka Ike’s novel, Toads for Supper (TFS).Ike in this novel creates awareness about the phenomenon of tribalism in Nigeria and its various consequences. Using deconstruction theory, this paper deconstructs how the style of a writer can help expose social ills in the society such as tribalism and the response of an individual to such a tendency. The paper examines how Ike uses selected episodes to lampoon tribalism, a major concern in Nigeria. This paper further examines how the writer uses such episodes to portray the negative consequences of tribalism in the day-to-day dealings of individuals. The creative craft of Ike further demonstrates that literature is a veritable means of chronicling and critiquing societal vices.
Keywords: chukwuemeka, concern, ike’s, supper, thematic, toads, tribalism