ANDREW ATE AGERA
Department of English and Literary Studies,
College of Education,
Katsina-Ala, Benue State,Nigeria.
e-mail: [email protected]
ELIZABETH HEMBADOON KANKWE
GNS Department,
Akperan Orshi Polytechnic,
Yandev, Benue State.
e-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
Ecocriticism is the most relevant theory in the contemporary era, keeping in view the global ecological crisis. It is the need of the hour to study and evaluate more works under this theory, as to rectify the present worsening of the ecological order is the need of the hour. Literature is one among the most powerful tools to bring the gravity of any kind of crisis to the consciousness of people. The African continent in general, and Nigeria in particular is also facing the ecological crisis like all other former British Colonies. This paper focuses on the Nigerianauthor, Ben Okri’s Infinite Riches. It traces the unrest in Nigeria due to ecological imbalance caused by the colonial masters and the practices continued by the neo-colonial governments. Okri has explored how the close association of natives with nature is exploited by the new elite class, which is heir to their former colonial masters. The corporate culture has degraded the whole ecology of Nigeria including its flora and fauna. The nature has gone wild and hostile as compared to the pure and virgin forests of the pre-colonial era. The changing dynamics between human and non-human nature is traced in the paper. The paper finds that with the advent of colonization, the sense of oneness with nature and the sense of dwelling in an environment, where one feels at home was lost. The harmony and balance that sustained the community disappeared, and the traumatized villagers lost their sense of place and consequently all sense of direction.
Keywords: Nigeria, Ecocriticism, non-human nature, Ecological imbalance, Destruction