Understanding behavioural attitudes: A psychoanalytical survey of Ola Rotimi’s <i>Hopes Of The Living Dead</i> and Folashayo Ogunrinde’s <i>A Woman With A Past</i>

Abstract

Play productions are works of art which often times reflect the pulse of the society be it negative or positive. The behavioural attitudes of such characters which falls short of societal expectations have been attributed to various reasons such as economic, political, social, cultural etc.. All these are replicas of what obtains in the society today. While the above stated reasons may be a truism, it becomes a necessity to understand the psychological and emotional carbuncle that could be the driving force behind such behavioural attitudes. Psychoanalysis strives to understand the inner workings of the human mind and thoughts of the individual and society, putting in view the historical, political and socio-economic influences that provide important insight into the irrationality or rationality of such a person or society. In all communications of life, such as listening to news, communicating on social media or in casual conversation, people instinctively seek to understand what motivates others and why people often act in manners that appear counter to their visible or expected interests. In examining what motivates human behaviour, psychoanalysis brings into focus the unconscious effort in the individual man that cannot be seen, but are responsible for most of the individual’s actions and decisions. Psychoanalysis is a theory of the mind which tilts towards the metaphysical. Relying on the structural model of personality, this paper attempts a psychoanalytical investigation into the seeming “bad/good behavioural” attitudes of some characters in Ola Rotimi;s Hopes of the Living Dead and Folashayo Ogunrinde’s A Woman With a Past . It then submits that total rejection, condemnation or segregation of people who goes against certain societal norms and values could only serve as an opium to drive them to the brink of self and societal destruction. Rather than segregate these people, such untoward behavioural attitude should be subjected to serious psychological examination with a view to assist the character(s) involved and help others with similar traits.

Key word: Psychoanalysis, Behaviour, Drama, Attitude, Society.