Representation of Human Rights Violations by the Security Agents in Agyei-Agyiri’s Unexpected Joy at Dawn, Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Ellison’s Invisible Man

Authors

  • Eze Chidiebere Chukwuemeka

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47672/ajls.1328
Abstract views: 183
PDF downloads: 142

Keywords:

Literary representation, fundamental human rights, human rights violations, security agents, Marxist critical discourse

Abstract

Purpose: Human rights violation is a universal phenomenon, a constant presence in the news and in daily lives. Such violations are occasioned by the powerful lording it over the powerless, infringing upon the victims’ unalienable rights. Human rights violations by the security agents seem to be pervasive in the recent time, resulting in the ubiquity of protests against the security agents for their wanton violations of human rights. Just recently, there were protest against police security bill in Paris, the protest against the killing of Eyad al-Hallaq by Israeli police, the protest against the jailing of Kremlin Foe of Russia, the protest against the murder of George Floyd of America and the recent EndSARS protest in Nigeria.  The purpose of this study was to explore the civil and political rights in the selected novels and how such rights have been violated by the security agents.

Methodology: The research adopted literary analysis, deploying the Marxist critical discourse which concerns itself with the struggles between classes. The reason for this choice is that literature as a major part of the superstructure is determined by the forces that make up a society’s base.

Findings: Drawing from the selected texts and from the different reviews of literature, the research finds out, among other things, that the security agents are among the most active violators of human rights. The study also found that human rights violations are everywhere, and not an exclusive reserve of any nation, civilized or uncivilized.

Recommendations: Giving the importance of security agents in safeguarding lives and property of citizens, the governments should include courses on human rights issues in the curriculum/training of the security agents. Different governments of the world should strengthen the aspects of fundamental human rights entrenched in their constitutions and give that hallowed section its pride of place to avoid chaos, anarchy, violent protests or even war that could result from violating the citizens’ rights. Governments should set up independent and impartial judicial bodies to adjudicate on the cases of human rights violations by the security agents. The citizens need to be sufficiently sensitized on the operative mechanisms of the security agents to make them know when they are crossing their boundaries or initiating actions capable of compelling the security agents to violate their rights. Literature should be made a compulsory subject in schools and colleges.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Eze Chidiebere Chukwuemeka

Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

References

Adegoke, N. (2020). “Intelligence Gathering and Challenges of Insecurity in Nigeria.” African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies: AJCJS, Vol.13, #1

Adichie, C.N. (2004). Purple Hibiscus. Lagos: Farafina Trademarks

Agyei, A. A. (2004). Unexpeted Joy at Dawn. Ghana: Sub-Sahara Publishers.

Alan, S. R. (Ed). (1980). The Philosophy of Human International Perspective. London: Aldwyeh Press Ltd.

Ashaolu, D.D. (2013, June 9). “Solving Security Challenges in Nigeria through Intelligence Gathering and Surveillance.” Harvard University - Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society; Harvard Law School.

Berkowitz & Bock (1963) “National Security” in David Sills (Ed.) International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. New York Macmillan Press.

Carroll, J. (2012). “The Deep Structure of Literary Representations.” 9th August. http://cogweb.ucla.edu/Abstracts/Carroll_D99.html

Chakrabarty, K. & Beniwal, A. (2012, August 12). “Human Rights and Literature: A Complementary Study in Indian Fiction in English.” The International Journal of the Arts in Society. Vol. 3. http://ija.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.85/prod.346

Clapham, A. (2007). Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

Dobie, A.B. (2009). Theory into Practice: An Introduction to Literary Criticism. Second Edition. USA: Wordsworth Cengage Learning.

Dowrick, F.E. (1979) Human Rights, Problems, Prospects and Text. West mead UK; Saxon House.

Egbeke, A. (1996). What is Philosophy: An African Enquiry. Enugu: Donze Family Circle Publications.

Ellison, R. Invisible Man. Ibadan: Kasho Educational Books, 2018.

Ezejiofor, G. (1964). The Protection of Human Rights Under the Law. London: Butterworths.

Forsythe, D.P. (2000). Human Rights in International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Henkin, L. (1995). “The Status of Human Rights” in Constitutional Rights Journal, CRP Publications, Lagos, Nigeria, at p. 11, vol. 5. London: Zed Books.

Lipson, J. (2012, August 12). “Literature and Human Rights.” http://www.joannelips onfreed.com/teaching/course/human-rights-fiction

Nagendra Singh, K. M. (1986). Enforcement of Human Rights in Peace and War and the Future of Humanity. New Delhi: Martinus Nijhoff Pub.

Nte, N. D. (2013). “An Analysis of Intelligence Support to Security Operations in Nigeria: A Review of Some Joint Task Force Operations.” Ogume: Novena University.

Nweke G.A. (1999). African security in the nuclear Age. Fourth dimension publishers, Enugu Nigeria.

Ogbu, O. N. (1999). Human Rights Law and Practice in Nigeria. Enugu: CIDJAP Pub.

Ogoh, A. O., Ayatse, F. H. , Orbunde, E. , & Obadahun, S. O. (2013). “The Role of Security Agents on Economic Development and Growth in Nigeria.” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention www.ijhssi.org Volume 2 Issue 2 ǁ February. 2013ǁ PP.08-10

Olaniyan, T. & Quayson, A. (Eds). (2007). African Literature: An Anthology of Criticism and Theory. UK: Blackwell Publishing.

Parlevliet, M. (2010). “Rethinking Conflict Transformation from a Human Rights Perspective.” Berghof Research Center for Constructive Conflict Management.

Phenson, U.A., Ojie, P.A., Esin, J.O. & Atai, A.J. (2014). “Essential Elements of Security and their Applications in Ensuring Stability and Integration of Nigeria.” IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education (IOSR-JRME), Volume 4, Issue 4 Ver. V. www.iosrjournals.org

Sip, D. (2012, August 10). “The Paradox of Torture Representation and Legitimacy.”

http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/probing-the-boundaries/wp-content/uploads /2012/04/sipppaper.pdf

Ukpere, W.I. (2012). “National security and development in Nigeria.” African Journal of Business Management, 6 (23), 6765-6770.

Yadav, R. B. (2012, April 12). “Representing the Postcolonial Subaltern: A study of Arvind Adiga’s The White Tiger.” http://www.the criterion.com/V2/n3/Ram.pdf

Downloads

Published

2023-01-16

How to Cite

Eze , C. C. (2023). Representation of Human Rights Violations by the Security Agents in Agyei-Agyiri’s Unexpected Joy at Dawn, Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Ellison’s Invisible Man. American Journal of Literature Studies, 2(1), 1 - 12. https://doi.org/10.47672/ajls.1328