Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Ben Okri's The Famished Road 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 The Famished Road tends to focus on its broader thematic concerns, with point of view as a stylistic device in service of colonial legacy receiving comparatively less sustained attention.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While Ben Okri's The Famished Road is widely studied, there is no settled critical consensus on how its point of view functions specifically in relation to colonial legacy. This study undertakes a close textual analysis to address that gap.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the use of point of view in Ben Okri's The Famished Road.
2. To analyze how point of view contributes to the portrayal of colonial legacy.
3. To assess the effectiveness of point of view 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 point of view used in Ben Okri's The Famished Road?
2. In what ways does point of view contribute to the portrayal of colonial legacy?
3. How effective is point of view 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 Ben Okri's The Famished Road 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 point of view within The Famished Road, reflecting a clearly defined scope; it does not extend to a full survey of the author's other works.