Discrimination and Class Oppression: An Example of Ifeoma Okoye’s <i>The Fourth World</i>

Abstract

Discrimination is a social problem which has eaten deep into the social circles of different African societies. It is seen in public or private sectors; religious or traditional groups as individuals in a given society engage in endless class struggles in order to control socio-economic and political powers. In essence, discrimination divides humanity into different classes and thus encourages marginalization and oppression in many forms; hence leading to violent protests or demonstrations. This paper examines discriminatory actions in Ifeoma Okoye’s The Fourth World in order to ascertain the causes of discrimination which divides the society into the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. In order to critically explore the different levels of discrimination and oppression in the selected novel, this research employs Marxism as the theoretical framework. In exploring the novel, the findings show massive exploitation of the proletariats by the bourgeoisie (government and rich individuals) who neglect a poverty stricken section of the society called the ‘Fourth world’ and thus cause untold hardship. This research therefore recommends that the government should bridge a gap between the rich and poor by providing basic social amenities in different areas of the society in order to enhance the living conditions of the poor. Government should also monitor sectors that manage government owned establishments for efficiency and accountability in order to protect the rights of poor citizens who are daily exploited.

Key words: Discrimination, Oppression, Marxism, Class struggle, Disillusionment