Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Sophie Oluwole's Socrates and Orunmila 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 Socrates and Orunmila tends to focus on its broader thematic concerns, with communalism as a stylistic device in service of personhood and community receiving comparatively less sustained attention.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While Sophie Oluwole's Socrates and Orunmila is widely studied, there is no settled critical consensus on how its communalism functions specifically in relation to personhood and community. This study undertakes a close textual analysis to address that gap.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the use of communalism in Sophie Oluwole's Socrates and Orunmila.
2. To analyze how communalism contributes to the portrayal of personhood and community.
3. To assess the effectiveness of communalism 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 communalism used in Sophie Oluwole's Socrates and Orunmila?
2. In what ways does communalism contribute to the portrayal of personhood and community?
3. How effective is communalism 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 philosophy, offering a close reading of Sophie Oluwole's Socrates and Orunmila 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 communalism within Socrates and Orunmila, reflecting a clearly defined scope; it does not extend to a full survey of the author's other works.