ZEGUAGBESI’S ABRAHAPOKOU: A CATALYST TO SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

All the nations of Africa are at present passing through the crucibles of democratization which is in consonance with good governance, enthronement of rule of law, justice and fair play, respect for human rights. These and many other social virtues that needed for our society to move to greater heights. In this regard, all efforts must be geared towards ensuring a change of attitude not only on the part of government but also on the part of the citizenry. This paper therefore seeks to provide an answer as to what role the African artist (novelist) can play in the socio-political transformation of his dear nation. In doing this, we have chosen to make a survey of ZegouaGbessi’s dramatic novel AbrahaPokou (a French text) with a view to highlighting the main themes of the novel and determining their relevance to the socio-economic development of his poor Ivorian society. A brief biography of the author in question and a brief summary of the text were given. This discourse posits that the African novelist should use the medium of his text
to bring about the desired social change in his society.