Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Helon Habila's Waiting for an Angel occupies a significant place in the Nigerian literary canon, and continues to attract critical attention for the richness of its language and thematic concerns.

Existing criticism of Waiting for an Angel tends to focus on its broader thematic concerns, with imagery as a stylistic device in service of feminism and womanhood receiving comparatively less sustained attention.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While Helon Habila's Waiting for an Angel is widely studied, there is no settled critical consensus on how its imagery functions specifically in relation to feminism and womanhood. This study undertakes a close textual analysis to address that gap.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the use of imagery in Helon Habila's Waiting for an Angel.
2. To analyze how imagery contributes to the portrayal of feminism and womanhood.
3. To assess the effectiveness of imagery as a stylistic/thematic tool in the text.
4. To situate the findings within the broader context of Nigerian literary/linguistic scholarship.

1.4 Research Questions

1. How is imagery used in Helon Habila's Waiting for an Angel?
2. In what ways does imagery contribute to the portrayal of feminism and womanhood?
3. How effective is imagery as a stylistic/thematic tool in the text?
4. How does this reading relate to the broader body of Nigerian literary/linguistic scholarship?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to students and teachers of english language / literary studies, offering a close reading of Helon Habila's Waiting for an Angel that can support classroom discussion and further critical work. It also contributes to the broader body of scholarship on Nigerian literary and linguistic studies.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to a close textual analysis of imagery within Waiting for an Angel, reflecting a clearly defined scope; it does not extend to a full survey of the author's other works.