Childhood in contemporary nigerian fiction

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CHILDHOOD IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIAN FICTION
Christopher Ernest Werimo Ouma A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy. July, 2011
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DECLARATION
I declare that this thesis is my own unaided work. It is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any other degree or examination at any other university.
-------------------------------------------- Christopher Ernest Werimo Ouma
-------- DAY OF- 2011

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DEDICATION
To those who fell on the way, E.O and JO, as well as my fallen colleague and friend
Kimathi Emmanuel Chabari, RIP.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I thought writing this would be easy, but I realise now that it requires me to take a trip down memory lane for five years. This journey started when I arrived in Johannesburg in
2006 for my MA. The tricky thing though is that time accumulates debts of gratitude as one traverses different places, spaces and meets different people. Therefore, I should say that the few pages allotted for acknowledging the contributions of many people in this activity can never be enough. Nonetheless, as Ben Okri says, there are many destinies and that if we fail to keep that appointed hour with one destiny, we are bound to fulfill the next. In this spirit therefore, I hope that this activity is a gesture to our shared yet different destinies and that this appointed houris not the only one. We will have other hours to fulfill many appointed destinies – of acknowledgement. More modestly though, there are many people who have contributed in various ways to my completion of this thesis and inasmuch as I would like to observe protocol the list is almost certainly endless, such is my debt of gratitude. This thesis would not have been completed without the financial support of Postgraduate Merit Award, University Council Postgraduate Scholarship, Doris and Tothill Bursary and the Andrew Mellon Mentorship programme, all administered by University of the Witwatersrand. Without this support, I would not have had the peace of mind required for sustained academic activity. Even though I declared that this is my own unaided work, I acknowledge the generous intellectual support of my supervisor, Prof. James Ogude throughout my postgraduate studies. Moreover, he has been magnanimous as a mentor, oftentimes going beyond the call of duty. I extend my acknowledgement to the rest of the staff at the African literature department Prof. Isabel Hofmeyr, Prof. Bhekizizwe Peterson, Dr. Dan Ojwang‟ and Prof. Pumla Gqola for the numerous seminars, colloquia, conferences and informal sessions which allowed my mind to wander into rich and diverse intellectual landscapes. Thanks also go to Merle Govind, for her warmth, generosity and kindness she always created that much needed sense of belonging – a home away from home. Thank you Merle.

v I am grateful to a cohort of forebrothers and sisters at the department Grace Musila, Dina
Ligaga, Florence Sipalla, Tam-George, Osita Ezeliora, Senayon Olaoluwa, Busuyi
Mekusi, Sean Rogers, Dishon Kweya and Maina Mutonya. Thank you for providing a familial atmosphere and forgiving mean ear in many informal conversations, at a point where I was still acclimatising to anew environment. Gratitude to my colleagues and friends Thabisani, Jendele, Agatha, Freddy, Mosoti, Wasike, Jennifer, Naomi, Nafeesa, Dee, Joy, Lebohang, Michelle, Amanda, Mati, Tatenda, Chrispen, Shepperd, Rhulani, Dr.
Tobiko, Misoi and Leah. My friends at Campus Lodge Frank, Du, Gilbert, Koko (eish!
Uyis‟khokho mfowethu!), Justice, Gideon, Tony, Seyi, Nnamdi, Eddy, Leon, and Uno – thanks for the collegial atmosphere you created in that place I consider my second home, and of course the braais and soccer matches we watched down at the basement. To my friend Khwezi, your friendship is one in a million. Thanks for the intensity of it and of course the long hours we spent contemplating Ben Okri‟s narrative wisdom, theory, Jazz, soccer, emotional heartaches and other abstractions. I particularly treasure the book- buying sprees in Melville and Rosebank. My friend Terah, thanks for your consistency and resourcefulness. You area great friend and brother. Thanks as well to Kgabo, you are like a much needed breath of fresh air. During my research, I had the privilege of being invited fora short fellowship during July and August 2009, at the Ferguson Centre for African and Asian Studies at the Open University, Milton Keynes in the UK. I wish to thank the Centre Director Prof. Dennis
Walder forgiving me that opportunity and for the stimulating conversations we had about this work. Thanks also to Heather Scott for her assistance in organising the paperwork I needed as well as in making my stay comfortable. I also wish to thank Sharon Shamir, for helping me acclimatise during my early days in London. To Asia Zgadzaj, thank you for the many conversations we had about African Literature, and for your most generous and kind spirit. Gratitude as well to the other people I met on this trip Thembeka, Ole, Wagai and to my friends Atela, Robert and Deno in Scotland – thanks a lot for the wonderful time I had there. To the wonderful staff at the British Library at St. Pancrass, thank you for making available the resources that I needed.

vi I would like to thank the Moi University family Dr. Nyairo, Prof. Simatei, Prof.
Odhiambo, Mboya and Mbogo. You are great mentors, friends and people who have consistently believed in me. What I am today has its foundation in the classes and seminars, where the passion for this was established. To my family back home, I wish to thank my Uncle Ellis and Aunt Merab for their continued support, concern and kindness, as well as to my brother-in-law Behan
Ashilaka. To my brother Kelvin, Sister Dorothy, all I can say is Nyasaye abhalinde,
enywe nende abhana bhenu: May God bless you and your children. We have come along way and the future is bright. Thanks as well to my cousin Jane, and her husband Gabbs for providing a home in Nairobi. To my grandmothers, Sellah Nanzala and Ruth
Odhiambo you have been solid rock in your determination in making me what I am today. To Tina, your kindness, generosity of spirit and friendship has been incredible. Parts of Chapter one appeared in the English Academy Review 26(2) 2009. I wish to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their comments

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