Portrayal of Terrorism in Soji Cole’s Embers

Terrorism was a foreign concept in Nigeria until 2002 when a radical Islamic zealot, Mohammed Yusuf, formed Boko Haram, a terror group, which went on to kill thousands of citizens and displace millions. Since Boko Haram and its splinter groups unleashed sorrow, tears and blood in northern Nigeria in the early 2000s, security agencies have been unable to check the bloodbath. The research studies Embers, a play by Soji Cole. It engages the use of Psychological Theory and Behavioral Psychology in analysing the text because Psychological Theory affirms the link between the mental state of characters and their traumas while Behavioural Psychology shows the relationship between behaviour and the human mind. Embers deals with the terrorism of Boko Haram. The nature of terrorism in Embers includes creativity and destruction. The causes of terrorism in the selected text are family, education, corruption, corrupt government and a perverted justice system. The research concludes that corruption, injustice, insensitivity, ignorance and poverty are the major causes of terrorism.

Keywords: Boko Haram Terrorism Corruption Soji Cole

Author

• Mobolanle Sotunsa
  Department of Languages and Literary Studies
  Babcock University, Ilesan Remo
  Ogun State, Nigeria
• Tunde Odesola
  Department of Languages and Literary Studies
  Babcock University, Ilesan Remo
  Ogun State, Nigeria