Animal instincts
Decoding the socio-cultural milieu of Nigeria through animal symbolism in Chigozie Obioma's The Fishermen
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3403340 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Aarfa Husain (0009-0009-2281-1780, Dehradun Institute of Technology University, corresponding author), Sakshi Semwal (0000-0002-3293-2721, Dehradun Institute of Technology University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1-14 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Identities (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1350-4630 • E-ISSN: 1363-0296 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13504630.2025.2564429 |
| OpenAlex | W4414522457 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 13 |
Literature mirrors society and is often considered a window to the world, allowing us to experience the realities that are often hidden. Nigerian writers with the intention to represent such hidden realities used indirect ways and narrative techniques. This study aims to analyse the animal symbolism used by Obioma in The Fishermen (2015), to highlight the socio-political realities of Nigeria. The study uncovers the African tribal conflicts and their disintegrated cultural values under the influence of Western education and Christianity through metaphorical representation drawn from the traits and behaviors of animals. This article critically examines how in The Fishermen, animals hold profound symbolic significance and occupy a distinct role in life of the characters reveling underlying concern behind the story of the four Igbo brothers who were doomed after fishing in the River Omi-Ala, which is considered to be evil and polluted, once revered and worshiped by ancestors. This research also highlights the interconnection between different beliefs in African cultures and their influence on natives, emphasizing their egalitarian view of existence despite the clashes brought up by the foreign culture and religion. The research concludes highlighting the significance of animal symbolism in contemporary literary discourse regaining the cultural narrative
Decoding methods · Semiotics · Media, Gender, and Advertising · Postcolonial and Cultural Literary Studies · Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Literary Criticism
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Chinua Achebe and the Invention of African Culture
Some Notes on Animal Symbolism in African Religion and Culture
Culture, Tradition and Society in the West African Novel
Jose Emilio Pacheco
Animals in the Traditional Worldview of the Yorùbá
Affirmation and contestation
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |