Fate, uncertainty and mystery of the supernatural: ironical indictment as literary hermeneutics in Elechi Amadi's the great ponds and the concubine.

Abstract

This paper reevaluates Elechi Amadi’s The Great Ponds (1969) and The Concubine (1969) within the frames of reference of magical realism and the supernatural, using irony as a critical tool of analysis. It argues that irony is the vehicle of meaning in the two novels. The paper highlights the major incidents in the plot structures of the two novels pointing out the hidden ironies in these events. The paper engages with the concept of Magical Realism to respond to the significance of African metaphysical nuances to depart from the Western scope of narratives that dwells on realism. The paper concludes by examining Amadi’s perception of irony in the two novels. In The Great Ponds , Amadi envisions a society where peace and harmony are the order of the day. He achieves this by vividly depicting the woes that accompany wars and anomie in any human society. However, in The Concubine , Amadi envisions a society where the gods are given their place while humans remain in their place. This he believes is necessary for cosmic harmony in the universe. Nonetheless, in both novels, gods and human intermingle to create an ambience of magical realism.