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Question

Difficulty: MediumAnalysis of Prescribed African Prose Texts

In Isidore Okpewho's novel *The Last Duty*, what is Chief Toje's primary underlying motive for offering financial support and assistance to Aku while her husband is imprisoned?

  1. To exploit her economic vulnerability to assert dominance and attempt to restore his failing sexual potencyAnswer
  2. B
    To fulfill a moral obligation owed to Oshevire from a past commercial partnership prior to the outbreak of war
  3. C
    To secretly gather military intelligence regarding Rebel movements through her contacts across the border
  4. D
    To protect her from public scandal after she is accused of stealing relief materials from the local camp

Answer

Chief Toje's primary motive is to exploit Aku's economic vulnerability to satisfy his own ego and attempt to prove his restored sexual potency.
In Isidore Okpewho's *The Last Duty*, Chief Toje's outward generosity toward Aku is driven by selfish psychological and sexual motives. Suffering from lost pride and physical impotence, he uses financial aid to coercion-trap the destitute Aku into sexual favors to bolster his ego.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze character relationships and conflicts in *The Last Duty*.
Identify Chief Toje as the antagonist who engineered Mukoro Oshevire's imprisonment on false charges of treason during the Nigerian Civil War.
Understanding the backstory clarifies the dynamic between Chief Toje and Oshevire's stranded wife, Aku.
2
Examine Chief Toje's inner monologues and interactions with Aku.
Recognize that Toje suffers from psychological anxiety over his declining physical health and sexual impotence, viewing Aku as a means to reassert his masculinity and dominance.
Toje's help is self-serving rather than altruistic, aimed at taking advantage of Aku's helplessness and social isolation.

Key Concept

Character Motivation and Moral Conflict in *The Last Duty*
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Analysis of Prescribed African Prose Texts

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