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Difficulty: HardAnalysis of Prescribed African Prose Texts

In Isidore Okpewho's prescribed novel *The Last Duty*, the author employs an alternating first-person narrative technique using multiple characters such as Oshevire, Toje, Aku, Odibo, and Major Ali. What is the primary literary function of this multi-perspective narrative structure?

  1. It presents a subjective, multi-faceted exploration of moral decay, psychological trauma, and conflicting personal motives under war conditions.Answer
  2. B
    It creates a third-person omniscient voice that delivers a neutral, detached analysis of military tactics used by the opposing armies.
  3. C
    It isolates the cause of the tragedy exclusively to Oshevire's personal hubris and arrogance rather than the breakdown of social order.
  4. D
    It removes the realistic temporal context of the Nigerian Civil War to frame the story as a supernatural tale driven by ancestral gods.

Answer

The primary literary function of the alternating first-person narrative structure in *The Last Duty* is to present a subjective, multi-faceted exploration of moral decay, psychological trauma, and conflicting personal motives under war conditions.
By giving individual chapters to different characters in the form of first-person monologues, Isidore Okpewho allows each character to reveal their inner thoughts, moral compromises, and personal motives. This narrative technique exposes how the pressures of civil war erode ethics and cause deep psychological strain across different social strata.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the narrative device used in the text
The novel uses interior monologues from several key figures (Oshevire, Toje, Aku, Odibo, Major Ali, Oghenovo).
Identifying the technique helps determine how narrative perspective shapes thematic presentation.
2
Evaluate the thematic impact of alternating first-person accounts
Each character reveals their private thoughts, biases, weaknesses, and justifications during the crisis of the Nigerian Civil War.
First-person monologues emphasize subjective internal experiences rather than an overarching objective truth.
3
Synthesize the primary function
The structure highlights how war corrupts individuals emotionally and morally, creating complex, overlapping civilian tragedies.
This matches the core literary purpose of Okpewho's stylistic choice in the novel.

Key Concept

Narrative Point of View and Psychological Characterization in Prescribed African Prose
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Analysis of Prescribed African Prose Texts

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