VIOLENT RESISTANCE IN FEMI OSOFISAN’S THE CHATTERING AND THE SONG

Abstract

This article posits that social change is desirable and can be by violent or non- violent means. It exam-
ines how Osofisan in The Chattering and the Song recommends violence as an instrument of justice in
an oppressive system. The analysis in the paper is based on the concept of violence that purifies the
system.
Osofisan stresses the relevance of violence as a veritable weapon in the fight against institutionalised
injustice, dictatorship and cultural imperialism which are some of his major thematic pre-occupations.
He wants a society where wealth must be equitably distributed. To study the use of violence in the
play, the paper employs the sociological and Marxist theoretical framework. Through characterization,
songs, diction and setting, Osofisan reinforces his belief in the potency of violent revolution.