analysis of the novel trafficked by akachi adimora ezeigbo
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summary, characterization, language use and subject matter of the novel Trafficked.TRANSCRIPT
ANALYSIS OF AKACHI ADIMORA EZEIGBO’S NOVEL
TRAFFICKED
By
Adenle Adepeju Temitope
03 Feb, 2009
This paper focuses on:
Summary of the novel Trafficked
Analysis of four leading female characters
Language
Subject Matters in the novel.
Summary of the Novel
Trafficked is a novel that deals with the issues of human
trade, that is, women trafficking through a series of
reminiscences. Nneoma, the leading female character in the
novel shows the trauma that goes with human trafficking; the
deceit, the lies, the cons, and the slavery or servitude that goes
hand in hand with women trafficking because they all end up as
sex objects to men, in order words, the pimps use them “the
trafficked” as prostitutes.
The novel which is credited with twenty-nine chapters has
each chapter unfolding the stories and circumstances of each of
the characters portrayed in the novel. Nneoma after a slight
hiccup in her relationship with Ofomata decided to leave her
home town in Ihite-Agu and upon hearing from a friend that there
were teaching vacancies in the United Kingdom and that she
would be introduced to the agents in charge, Nneoma went
straight to her friend and they both traveled down to Lagos to
meet with the agents. Six of them were chosen (all ladies
between the ages of seventeen and twenty) and were flown out
of the country under the guise that a teaching job awaits them.
Nneoma expresses her joy and thank her ‘Chi’ at this junction but
little was she to know that danger lay ahead of her. However,
before they were flown out of the country they were made to
swear an oath before a shrine and that, “…if we disregard the
terms of the agreement, disobey them or cut links without
settling our debt….” (Pg: 128).
Only when Nneoma got to Italy did she know she had been
trafficked. After a period of six years of been trafficked she was
caught and deported back to Nigeria where the government had
made provisions for the empowerment of trafficked women
through the establishment of Oasis Youth Centre for Skills
Development (OYCSD) her she stayed another two years before
she could summon the courage to go back home to see her
parents at Ihite-Agu. During her two years stay at the centre she
was trained as a tailor and she was able to get an admission into
the University of Lagos to study a teaching course. The novelist
through this novel is able to skillfully and tactically bring to the
attention of the reader the issue of female trafficking and the
inhumanity of man towards the women, the need for women to
be more educated and enlightened about the issue of trafficking
and the dangers attached to it, as well as understanding the
process of trafficking.
At the centre of the novel is a consideration for the place
and effect of parental love in the life of a child. Nneoma parents
are an example in this case. Nneoma father in the person of
Ogukwe Eke loved his daughter deeply and he believed that it
was the spirit of his dead mother that dwells in Nneoma. Nneoma
grew up a loved and cherished child in a peaceful home in which
she was the third child of four children. Ogukwe who was a clerk
at the Internal Revenue Department in the Ministry of Finance
regarded himself as a family man, having done his best to train
his children in school and provide for them and their mother.
Adaeze, his wife, made more money than he does by the nature
of her work which is trading and brought home more income than
he did. But these things were not voiced,
“…For a woman’s wealth belonged to her husband and she could
lay no claim to it at any time in her lifetime or even after she
died…”
The novelist here subtly voiced out the plight of the woman
in the Igbo culture which is also obtainable in other cultures as
well where the woman cannot claim anything fro herself even
after she laboured to acquire the wealth, she has no say in its
spending, giving rise to the voiceless nature of the woman which
society and culture had imposed upon her.
However, upon Nneoma disappearance from home and her
elder sister Hannah religious fanaticism which led her to the arms
of Prophet Elias who abused and mistreated her and encouraged
her in committing outrageous crimes against Ihite-Agu shrines,
completely embarrassing the family, Ogukwe still showed his love
for his daughters by receiving them back with opened arms and
not overtly criticizing them. The novelist through this portrayal of
parental love is able to show that love stabilizes a lot of atrocities
and erases pains, loneliness, and sorrow as Ogukwe and Adaeze
showed their daughters that they were willing to forgive and
forget.
“Every day belongs to the thief but one day belongs to the owner
of the house” (Pg: 145)
This is the case with Ofomata who was regularly besieged by
Dr Komolafe, a lecturer at the University of Lagos who takes
pleasure in extorting money and other forms of things from his
students, not only Dr Komolafe but some other lecturers in the
campus was reported and had been asked to resign without much
publicity being drawn to the case after a two hundred level male
student set a trap for him. Ofomata, who happened to be the love
of Nneoma before she fled their home town, was used by the
novelist to explore the angle of corruption and bribery even in the
academic world and the trauma some lecturers make students go
through all in the name of passing them in the various courses
they handle.
The novel goes on to tell the readers the post-traumatic
implication which trafficking has on its victims and how Nneoma
grew to be weary of men and most things they stand for. Through
the eyes of Nneoma we are able to understand the extent of
female degradation and through her plight we are able to form in
our minds the question as to whether prostitution is a form of
male violence against women?
Whether therefore, prostitution is a form of male violence
and show of domination on women or not, the fact still remains
that women from all parts of the world are being trafficked
everyday to serve as prostitutes in most European countries with
the lure of a better life and some are just outright kidnapping.
In all, the novel Trafficked, is a book full of the show of love,
culture and tradition, education, human trafficking, and a host of
other issues which has culminated together to give the work a
sense of identity which is common with most of Akachi Adimora
Ezeigbo works. Akachi with this book therefore has been able to
portray and illuminate more on the issue of human trafficking and
other elementary issues that keep a society together.
ANALYSIS OF FOUR LEADING FEMALE CHARACTER
The four leading female characters selected for this research
are Nneoma, Efe, Hannah and Dr. Chindo Okehi. Two of these
characters will portray the issues of prostitution and trafficking in
their lives (Nneoma and Efe) while Hannah exposes issues of
insecurity and lack of self confidence and Dr. Chindo Okehi will
portray what the other three women dreamed of being.
NNEOMA
A young lady who had been dealt with a blow from the hand
of fate; Intelligent, beautiful, and adventurous but who was turned
into a brooding, skeptical, traumatized, humiliated, shamed and
stigmatized woman as a result of life experiences and most
importantly as a trafficked woman, but who however, refused to
be nothing and decided to make something out of her life after
being deported back to the country as a prostitute and trafficked
woman thereby showing an inner quality: strength and dignity.
Born to Mr. Ogukwe Eke and Mrs. Ogukwe Adaeze, she was much
loved by her father who believed that she, Nneoma, was his
mother reincarnated and as such was the apple of his eye. As
“…his favorite child and second daughter…” (Pg: 10) Nneoma
could do no wrong in the eyes of the father and when Adaeze the
mother would complain about this, saying, “… you can go on
spoiling her if you wish…. You are the one that will regret it…” (Pg
11). Her fathers reply would be “…it’s alright, my little mother…”
cooing Nneoma showing that Nneoma is a much loved child.
Her love for Ofomata and their disagreement as to his
traditional title (Ozo Nkwu’s) which he is to assume upon the
death of his father led to Nneoma decision to flee her home town
Ihite Agu in Anambra State causing a stir in her house and her
parent unnecessary heartache which eventually led to her been
lured and trafficked by crooked men who promised her a teaching
job upon her arrival at the United Kingdom, but that was not the
case as she met herself in Italy where she discovers she is been
trafficked and she says,
“… I am completely devastated by the life I’m forced to live: hit
the street, waiting for customers, winter, spring, summer, and
autumn; comeback at dawn, eat and sleep till it all begins again
at nightfall…” (Pg: 129).
Life as a trafficked woman subjugated to prostitution left her
traumatized and shamed. However this did not stop her from
plotting her escape which she succeeded in and where she met
some Nigerian men who helped her but were lured by her beauty
and tried demanding sex off her. Her second escape came swiftly
but she was deported back to the country.
Back in Nigeria, Nneoma is faced with the stigmatization of
trafficked persons like herself by people and the press, but as luck
would shine on her an organization took her and others in and
they were provided with food and shelter as well as an
opportunity to learn a skill.
Her quest for success and a redefinition of her life started at
the OASIS rehabilitation centre where she picked up sewing and
proved to be a better tailor as she said, she wanted more. The
need and agitation to be a better person and not just a tailor, the
cravings to be better educated all led to her re-application for a
JAMB form and her quest to go to the university to earn a degree.
Her resolution paid off as she passed her examination and was
thereby accepted as an undergraduate at the University of Lagos.
Nneoma displayed a more positive and matured side of her
character under the siege of stigmatization. She gave instances
as to her reaction when she was assaulted and fired based on her
prostitution record. The first being in New York where she worked
and she was caught and the way she retaliated when she was
asked to leave in comparison to her reaction when Chief Amadi
fired her based on the fact that she was a deported prostitute, in
her own words, she says,
“.. the memory still rankled. But her reaction had been totally
different this time. She had left with dignity…”
She therefore asks herself’,
“…Was this a sign that she had matured, or had become
hardened?” (Pg: 282).
Her love for Ofomata never died as she is seen picturing him
in her mind and always recounting the various episodes of their
time together and when fate brought them together,
“…she felt sure that this man would take her back knowing her
for who she was…” (Pg: 311)
In all, Nneoma displays and represents a lot of things to our
contemporary young ladies. She who had experienced such
dehumanization at the hands of fellow human but stood firm in
the face of adversary and refused to allow her past experience
becloud her present and future, is a lady who deserves an
applause. Not minding her experiences she believed life still
offered more than she had witnessed and isn’t afraid to reach out
and get that which is meant for her.
HANNAH
Hannah, the older sister to Nneoma is a lady plagued with
low self esteem and who in her desire to be loved and in
gaining recognition took to Christianity. In the process of religion
she became the concubine of a prophet named Elias even at the
objection of her parents. She ran away with the self proclaimed
prophet.
Hannah fell under Prophet Elias’ spell when a friend took her to
his church one Sunday; three years after Nneoma had
disappeared. Frustrated by her father’s complaints and pathetic
groans over the non-payment of his gratuity and pension and the
loss of his favourite daughter which also meant the loss of the
piece of land promised by his prospective in-law; unable to find a
job after her secretarial studies, and lacking much of the
comeliness of her younger sister, Nneoma, which made men
slaves to passion when they saw her, Hannah fell for the first man
who paid her serious attention (Pg: 170).
Hannah is found to ask herself always, “…what does Prophet Elias
see in me that made him love me…” (Pg:170). This therefore led
her to becoming Prophet Elias concubine since her parent
objected to her marrying him.
After three years of wild adventure, Hannah returned home
damaged and disconsolate as she had been kept as a concubine
in a harem of ten women and she was often used as a punching
bag when the prophet needed to unburden his pent up emotions.
After all this she decided to return home to her parent. Her father
upon seeing her was not ready to forgive her and was ready to
send her out of his house but after he saw the agony she was in,
took pity and decided that after all Hannah was his first daughter
and forgave her.
It wasn’t easy for the mother to forgive Hannah but she thought
to herself, “…Hannah behaved so outrageously, she had
stretched the elastic cord of affinity beyond its limit…” (Pg: 180).
Lebechi unwittingly broke the spell of discord between Hannah
and her mother and through this the universal language of
maternal love was opened.
Hannah like her sister Nneoma, after her ordeal decided to
make a better person out of herself and decided to let go of the
past and press forward into the future and in doing so, she took
up selling “okrika” – second hand clothes- which she bought from
Aba and sold in Ihite-Agu market. Hannah exhibited a level of
responsibility, maturity and repentance when she realized she
was lucky to have a second chance.
EFE
A young lady who was one of those deported based on the
fact that she was trafficked and was made to the street displays
an aura of positivism in the novel Trafficked. Efe is a woman who
refuses to let anything or circumstances get the better of her. She
is full of life and light-hearted, welcoming and friendly, above all
she is one to find good things in worst places or situation, never
afraid of lurching out after her deportation, and she proved to be
loyal.
Efe displays her sense of friendship to Nneoma as she was
able to get Nneoma to talk about her ordeal as a trafficked person
and was able to motivate Nneoma that life is not ending because
of what had happened to them but that it is what they make out
of the opportunities given to them. Throughout the novel,
Nneoma found it easy and comfortable to confide in Efe and even
after Efe left the OASIS centre she made sure she kept in touch
with Nneoma. Efe played the friendship part well in the novel.
Her sense of enthusiasm and positivism comes to play when
she was willing to move on and have a relationship with a man
she was unaware off as been a trafficker and upon knowing was
willing to risk uncovering the man for who he is. Her journey back
to her hometown met her with a load of adventures as she
constantly told Nneoma over the phone and at a point Nneoma
remarked that, “…though she and Efe were similar in some ways,
they were totally different in many others. Efe couldn’t bear a dull
moment; she liked to be on the move all the time, having new
experiences. She was not afraid to take risks. She had responded
to a strange advertisement placed in a newspaper and on the
basis of that traveled abroad with strangers. Even the experience
of being trafficked had not diminished her go-for-it attitude to
life.” (Pg: 125)
With this, it shows that Efe having undergone the same
experiences which Nneoma went through reacted to it in another
form as compared to Nneoma. Efe has therefore shown that ones’
attitude and reaction to issues is of great importance to the
survival of humans.
Dr. CHINDO
A senior lecturer in the Department of Science Education of
the University of Lagos, Nigeria, tall and elegant who is in her
early forties is a brilliant academic whose opinions are highly
respected, not only that, but she is highly concerned about the
welfare of her students, kind and generous as well as
understanding and a good mother.
Dr. Chindo was always careful to remember to get Ofomata
books when she travels out of the country on her academic tours
and as Ofomata would describe her, “…Dr Okehi did not belong to
the class of lecturers who discussed their colleagues with
students…” (Pg: 148). Nneoma in describing Dr Chindo Okehi said
she was confident and refined. Nneoma remembers Chindo
generosity towards her when they met in London and how Chindo
helped her to rebuild her shattered psyche and mend her broken
body.
“…Chindo was special…” Nneoma concludes (Pg: 197).
Dr. Okehi also exhibited her kindness and generosity when
she offered Nneoma an opportunity to live in her son’s quarters so
that Nneoma could save some money. She is aptly described as,
“… Ma, you are so kind to me…” (Pg: 308). An added plus for her
on her ability to be a good confidant
Dr. Chindo Okehi hereby represent the image which Nneoma
aspires to be in the novel Trafficked, that is, the symbol of
enlightenment and disciple and she is also the willing instrument
through which Nneoma and Ofomata are brought together again.
LANGUAGE USE IN TRAFFICKED
Language as a style used by Akachi Adimora in Trafficked is
one of the authors’ technique through the use of words to convey
particular meanings and since it is a known fact that a work of art
is expressed in one language or another, each language therefore
used in the novel is physically and psychically articulated to suit
the situation and subject being written about; not only that, it
reflects the author’s personality.
In reading Trafficked, one is particularly drawn to the diverse
language used in the novel, each language representing a
particular dialect and region in the country in which the author
wishes to draw the attention of the reader to.
Sentence Tribe Meaning
‘O di egwu – o’ (Pg:191) Igbo It is
terrible
‘Allah’ (Pg: 191) Hausa God
‘Ole’ (Pg: 191) Yoruba Thief
‘Make you no mind de man. You know
say na de way dem dey chop country
money’ (Pg: 202)
Pidgin
This particular form of language mixture ‘code switching’
and ‘code mixing’ is peculiar to bilingual environment and
through this the author is able to expose the mind of the reader
and at the same time make readers identify themselves with the
characters depending on the nationality of the reader. Invariably,
the author is able to add up languages such as; Yoruba, Igbo,
Pidgin, Hausa and English in the deployment of the novel.
Another peculiar way in which the author is able to use
language in depicting the style of the author is the fact that one is
particularly drawn by the level of affective and emotional
language which pervades the novel. The novel burst out with the
language of despair;
“… I’d rather die than return to that country…” (Pg: 3)
This is equally followed with abusive languages:
“…Shame on you ….Go join the rest of the scum…” (Pg: 17)
This led to the language of enquiry;
“… Why are you so hostile?” (Pg: 19)
“…Have you gone mad?” (Pg: 46)
A similar sentimental outburst recurs later in the novel;
“…Whatever gave you the ideas that you could successfully
escape from me?” (Pg: 53)
“…How did he find out where she was?”
“…What was she to do now?” (Pg: 53)
The language of romance and love persist the novel also:
“…Nneoma, his favorite child and second daughter, would perch
on his knee and, pulling his moustache playfully, ask him what
work he had done in the office, instead of telling him what she
had done on school…” (Pg: 10)
“…How he enjoyed cuddling and kissing her!” (Pg: 36)
“…She came out all smiles. In the full view of everyone, he pulled
her to him and kissed her lips. She laughed, protesting mildly.
Ofo, stop it. You are shameless…” (Pg: 74)
“…She laughed softly and walked away. Suddenly she felt that
this man would take her back, knowing her for who she was.” (Pg:
311).
The language of friendship also pervades the novel:
“… Don’t get me wrong”, Efe said quickly. “I just want to be your
friend in the real sense, to carry some of your burden, if you allow
me and also get you to share some of mine, if you are willing…”
(Pg: 97)
The language of discord also pervades the novel which is as a
result of Lebechi constant attack of Ogukwe and his family for
want of trouble…”
“…Eyi-o, aghonaha-o! Yes, their evil plan has succeeded! .... The
war has just started. We’ll see who will get tired first!” (Pg: 116)
“…So the champion trader is back with her apprentice daughter,”
Lebechi jibed…”
(Pg: 118)
Considering the language aspects used (semantic, syntactic
and phonological concepts), Akachi Adimora was able to show her
level of dexterity. Therefore, the semantic, syntactic and
phonological aspect of language use will also be considered.
SEMANTIC
The author was able to use proverbs in adding more
meaning to her choice of words. Proverbs is used aptly and
concisely all through the novel thereby giving the novel a flavour
peculiar to Akachi Adimora. The use of proverbs in the novel
helped in defining the authors’ style and making it unique.
Examples abound in the novel and they are:
“A foolish chicken overlooked the knife that cuts its throat and got
angry with the pot cooking it” (Pg; 4)
“Show me the person for whom life is continuously blissful and I
will doff my hat for him or her” (Pg: 5)
“A woman who neglects or disrespects her husband will become
destitute” (Pg: 9)
“When a visitor is not offered a seat, he will attract more visitors
to his host” (Pg: 30)
“When a boil attacks the scrotum, you do not leave it untreated
for fear it will give pain to the sufferer”
“Everyday belongs to the thief but one day belongs to the owner
of the house” (Pg: 145)
“Legs that fly like shooting star must realize that flash like
lighting are watching” (Pg: 181)
“An ostrich buries her small head in the ground forgetting that the
rest of her body is sticking out for the world to see” (Pg: 185)
“Since all lizard lie flat on the ground, it is impossible to tell which
of them is suffering from belly ache” (Pg: 204)
“A person who wants to confuse a fly climbs a tree to fart” (Pg:
239)
Poems are another form of language which the author uses
in adding more to the characters intention, thoughts and actions.
The author is able to use poem prolifically to express the feelings
and moods of the character, giving it the stream of consciousness
appeal peculiar to Virginna Woolf. Examples are:
“Mother and daughter talking
Confronting differences
Bridging gaps
Closing ranks
Mending broken fences
Mother finds her lost child
Child rediscovers the taste of mother’s milk.”
(Pg: 182)
“Iwe na-ewe ayi
O, iwe na-ewe ayi
Ochu okuko new oso
Elias mekporo ala”
[We are angry
O, we are very angry
A fall awaits the one who pursues a hen
The hen will escape unhurt
Elias committed an abomination].”
(Pg: 219)
LEXICAL DEVIATION
Lexical deviation occurs when the author uses a word in such
a way that it stands out prominently in the sentence, what
Chapman call ‘foregrounding’. This lexical deviation could be
hyperbolic, metaphorical and dialectical or code switching.
DIALECTICAL OR CODE SWITCHING LEXICAL DEVIATION
This is the infiltration of mother tongue vocabulary into the
second language. It is a prominent feature of a bilingual or
multilingual community in which Nigeria is one. Examples are:
Words Meaning (English)
Iyawo (Pg: 20) Wife
Okpo (Pg:35)
Asa (Pg: 35)
Nsogbu adili (Pg: 38) There is no problem at
all
Aka ji ya (Pg: 42) She is a captive
somewhere
Guguru (Pg: 190) Popcorn
Bole (Pg: 190) Roasted plantain
Obodo oyinbo (Pg:
40)
White man country
METAPHORICAL LEXICAL DEVIATION
This is the transfer of the concrete meaning of a word to an
abstract meaning by analogy, for example:
“One for motorists, another for motor-cyclist and the third for
foot-runs” (Pg: 107)
Here the underlined word is used instead of people without
vehicles or motor cyclist.
HYPERBOLIC LEXICAL DEVIATION
This is an exaggeration in order to produce a strong
impression, for example:
“His bulbous nose flared slightly as if he was displeased…” (Pg:
106)
‘bulbous’ here could have been substituted with a simpler word
like ‘fat’
“…Why are some of the lecturer’s excesses not curtailed by the
authorities?” (Pg: 33)
Here the author could have used a simpler equivalent ‘reduce’.
The author successfully uses language as a style in carrying out
the idea, intention, truth, meaning, and reference for which, only
language can act as its subservient and convenient vehicle of
expression.
THE SUBJECT MATTERS IN TRAFFICKED
The subject matter of Akachi Adimora in Trafficked is one
that deals mainly about those things that affect women in our
society. It exposes certain vulnerabilities of the Nigerian socio-
economic terrain which has presented the modern Nigerian
woman as prey to the dangerous tidal waves of post-modern
phenomena.
The issues in Trafficked will be discussed under the following sub-
heads:
Trafficking
Betrayal
Love
Friendship
Stigmatization
Education
TRAFFICKING
Akachi Adimora uses her novel Trafficked itself as a form of
enlightenment on the issue of human trafficking and how
particularly young Nigerian women are lured by traffickers into
this modern form of slavery. The title of the novel itself speaks
volume regarding what to expect in the novel and this issue is
pronounced as it can get every where in the novel. Human
trafficking particularly women trafficking is a global issue that
needs to be raised as it is a form of inequality to women in the
society, not only inequality, it shows that men still regard women
as a toy to be handled which way they please. Not only does
human trafficking serve as a form of women inequality in the
society it also reflect the socio-economic stand of the country as
most trafficked women are lured by the opportunities they think
awaits them. The theme of trafficking exposes the Nigerian
women as prey to the dangerous tidal wave of post modern
phenomena as the gripping tale of a young Nigerian Igbo girl who
fell to the lure and illusions of overseas opportunities and
possibilities which presented her with a fast track on which to live
ends up on the platform of slavery to prostitution.
Through the use of characters like Nneoma, Efe, Alice, and
Fola, the author makes the reader understand what really is at
stake on the issue of human trafficking and not only this, the
reader is made to have a glimpse and understanding of the
measures taken in rehabilitating the deported trafficked women
as well as the level of poverty which would drive people out of
their own country into the hands of those that would even make
their life more terrifying and would reduce them to animals.
BETRAYAL
The theme of betrayal in the novel Trafficked is of great
importance, as we that through this, a sense of loss is felt by
those chiefly concerned. This sense of betrayal is sensed by
Nneoma (a trafficked young woman), Ofomata (a jilted lover), and
Ogukwe (a heart broken father).
Betrayal could wreck serious socio and psychological havoc
in the life of its victims and Nneoma, Ofomata and Ogukwe are no
exceptions. Nneoma who was hypnotized, mesmerized and
tantalized by her dreams of the famed European splendour, that
she could be who she want to be was betrayed when upon
arriving found out she is in Italy (instead of London) as a
trafficked person sold into prostitution. Nneoma is also the cause
of Ofomata sense of betrayal because she choose greener
overseas pastures over Ofomata love thereby leaving him a jilted
lover and making it nearly impossible for him to love another
woman until they met again. Ogukwe (the heroine father) felt
betrayed over the loss of his favourite daughter whose where
about was unknown, about his brother who betrayed him over the
house they both built for their mother, about Lebechi (his
brother’s wife) who continually assaulted him over little next to
nothing and about his first daughter Hannah who decided to
become the concubine of a fake prophet.
Akachi Adimora therefore uses this theme in exposing the
havoc in which betrayal can cause in the life of its victim, the
psychological damage experienced by those who feel this
emotion and their inability to let go of the emotion which later
would bring about other forms of emotions in the life of its
victims. Trafficking itself is a form of betrayal and it leaves all its
victims a shadow of themselves.
LOVE
Love makes the world go round and it forgives a multitude of
sins. Love is a recurrent subject in the novel Trafficked and the
author shows her dexterity with the usage of this emotion. All
through the novel, the theme of the novel resounds; the love
between Nneoma and Ofomata, Ogukwe and his wife (Adaeze)
and his children (Hannah, Nneoma, Ohaka and Mma), Nneoma
and Efe, Dr Chindo and Ofomata and Nneoma, and the list is
endless. This affords the author to show that love conquers all;
not only that, but it affords the author to bring and infuse a sense
of hope into the tragic tale of the victims of trafficking that love
can afford them to forget past pains and agony giving them
leverage and motivation to press forward toward the mark of
achievement and excellence.
Love also affords the author the opportunity to portray her
characters as real people because the author recognizes that for
any character to be authentic and acceptable, it has to exhibit his
or her own quota of limitations and shortcomings. Love therefore
allows each of the characters an element of reality and equally
portrays them as a group of people who realizes that they need
the love of people around them to forge ahead.
FRIENDSHIP
The novel frequently emphasizes the bond of friendship
between Nneoma and Efe. This bond was what helped Nneoma
and it was on the platform of this that Nneoma could face the
challenges that comes her way when she was deported back to
her country also; the novel got its form from the initiation of
friendship by Efe towards Nneoma.
After a while at the OASIS, Efe was able to get Nneoma to talk
about her ordeal when she discovers she is being trafficked and
afterwards she confesses that, “…I feel cleansed. My body feels
light. Efe, thank you for listening to my story…” (Pg:135)
Not only is the theme of friendship exhibited between Efe and
Nneoma, we had it between Dr Chindo and Ofomata as well as Dr
Chindo and Nneoma herself because DR Chindo offer of friendship
started when she met Nneoma in London and her friendship
proved true as we see in the novel that Nneoma went in search
for her, found her and Dr Chindo was still able to lend a helping
hand.
STIGMITIZATION
The result of the glitterati of the west as sold to the Africans
by several uncanny vendors, of which the media of popular
culture should be chief, possesses the lacerating sting which
wrecks lasting and severe emotional and physical havoc on its
victims has a name called stigmatization.
“…She and the fifteen humiliated young women shuffled out of
the aircraft, past the crew who stood aside, watching them as if
they were lepers or slaved disembarking from a slave ship. She
looked up and saw the disdainful expression on the face of one of
the stewardess, and looked away quickly…” (Pg: 4)
“… Shame on you,” one of the officers taunted. “Go and join the
rest of the scum who flew in from Rome a few minutes before
you…”
“…Look at them,”….what a disgrace to the country…” (Pg: 17)
“…Nneoma, sit down,”… “Why didn’t you tell me you were a
deported prostitute when I interviewed you for this job…. I asked
a question….you are a good worker and talented tailor: no one
can deny that. I cannot keep someone with your background
here. So I am terminating your appointment with immediate
effect…” (Pg: 272-273)
EDUCATION
The author also recognizes the position and importance of
education in the lives of people and she believes in the centrality
of the role of women in any exercise in national development
worth a second look and the sacrosanct of education to both the
man and woman whose place in the global scheme is to be
reckoned with. Through this Akachi is able to reinforce the idea
that for women equality in the society, education is of great
importance and Dr. Chindo in the novel is a fine representation of
this, as she serves as a symbol of enlightenment and disciple
which also serves as a motivation for Ofomata who is a student in
the university campus as well as Nneoma who having being
deported wished to go back to school.
References
Bamgbose, O. (2002), “Teenage Prostitution and the Future of the
Female Adolescent in Nigeria” in
International Journal for Offender Therapy
and Comparative Criminology, Vol. 46, No.
5 (Pg: 569-585). Ibadan: SAGE Publications
Douglas, M. et al. (2003), “Trafficking in Women and Girls” as cited
on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 in
Eziegbo, A. (2008), Trafficked. Lagos: Literamed Publications
Nig. Ltd.
Odewumi, J. (2004), Literature Comparism. Lagos: Anason Intl.
Press Ltd.
Onyerionwu, E. (2008), “The Times of the Signs: Neo-globalization
in Trafficked” in National Life of Sunday
November 9, 2008.
Stark, E (2000), Tricking and Tripping, Prostitution in the Era of AIDS. New York: Social Change Press