HORRORS OF WAR

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF EBEOGU’S MADMAJOR AND CLERK’S THE CASUALTIES

Abstract

In all ages, literature has always mirrored society and African literature arises from the mirror of African community and African historical experiences. If one, therefore, agrees that literary creativity derives its impetus from the existence of conceptual system in the society, a trend that conditions the literary mode to which a writer submits, one will quickly realize why literary writers constantly resurrect in their literary creations, perpetual upheavals and tensions in the past which our visual and emotional memories still retain. Suffice it to say that such tensions and upheavals often found outlets through brutality, political turbulence and war which threaten peace, social stability and man’s coexistence. Consequently, this paper, which intentionally draws from the genres of poetry and drama, revolves around a critical examination of how the creative artists in these genres, the poet and the dramatist use literature to criticize and condemn wars, tensions and socio-political problems in Nigeria, in particular and the world in general, thereby calling for social change and reform. Through critical analysis, the paper further portrays how political upheavals put in place by the Nigerian/Biafran civil war destroyed lives, properties and other socio-economic installations in the country. A significant revelation of this study is the indictment of the political elites who make merchandize of wars by corruptly enriching themselves through international negotiations rather than advocating for a cease fire.