EST. 2026

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English Language / Literary Studies · BSc · REF. TA-1663

A Stylistic Analysis of Narrative Technique in Zainab Alkali's The Famished Road

Abstract

This BSc study investigates the subject matter outlined in the title above through a structured research design appropriate to the BSc level. Using primary and/or secondary data collection methods, the research examines the underlying variables, tests relevant hypotheses, and presents findings with implications for practice and policy. This is placeholder abstract text generated for catalogue preview purposes; the full document contains a complete, topic-specific abstract, literature review, methodology, data analysis, and conclusion.

Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Zainab Alkali'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 narrative technique as a stylistic device in service of tradition versus modernity receiving comparatively less sustained attention.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While Zainab Alkali's The Famished Road is widely studied, there is no settled critical consensus on how its narrative technique functions specifically in relation to tradition versus modernity. This study undertakes a close textual analysis to address that gap.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

  1. To examine the use of narrative technique in Zainab Alkali's The Famished Road.
  2. To analyze how narrative technique contributes to the portrayal of tradition versus modernity.
  3. To assess the effectiveness of narrative technique 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 narrative technique used in Zainab Alkali's The Famished Road?
  2. In what ways does narrative technique contribute to the portrayal of tradition versus modernity?
  3. How effective is narrative technique 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 Zainab Alkali'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 narrative technique within The Famished Road, reflecting a BSc-level scope; it does not extend to a full survey of the author's other works.

Chapters Two through Five, references and appendices are available for a one-time fee of ₦50,000.

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