Guns end dreams: linguistic choices as trauma narrations in Baki and Adedoyin’s End sars rhythms

Abstract

This paper examines the poetic presentation of the October 2020 #EndSARS protest as traumatic narrations in Baki and Adedoyin’s End sars rhythms. Drawing on insights from literary trauma theory and the concept of trauma discourse, data were purposively extracted from 20 poems to exemplify how language is devised to situate collective traumatic experiences of Nigerian youths in particular, and the general masses at large from the depravities by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and political class. The thematic coding of the analysis denotes the use of agonizing language to construe the people’s diverse trauma stimuli to include: police brutality, exploitation and incarceration, political exploitation aided by Babel mechanism, agony of the dying and dead youths, and the evil deeds in October (20th) and darkness. The poems viewed the #EndSARS protest as a socially networked and communal demonstration against the political establishment and its agents (security forces) who have executed deprivation, emasculation and deaths among the armless youth population. The study is significant because it highlights the protesters’ unity across ethnoreligious divides to portray a congregation of patriotic and resilient youths determined to excruciatingly chat a new future in their fatherland where they are free to create knowledge, wealth and true nationhood.

Keywords:

• #EndSARS protest
• trauma narrations
• literary trauma
• Nigeria police
• political establishment
• Nigerian youths

Reviewing Editor:

• Jeroen van de Weijer, College of International Studies, Shenzhen University, China

Subjects:

• Language & Literature
• Language & Linguistics
• Language Teaching & Learning
• Literature

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

God’sgift Ogban Uwen

Edem Ekpo Ene teaches Literature courses at the Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Calabar, Nigeria. His research interest include: African and diaspora poetry, and Identity studies. Mr Ene has publications in reputable journals; he is a member of several academic associations and has attended and presented papers in conferences.

Edem Ekpo Ene

Dr God’sgift Ogban Uwen is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Calabar, Nigeria. His research interest include: Sociolinguistics, Applied English Linguistics and Semiotics. He reviews for, and has published in several Scopus indexed journals including Journal of Language, Identity & Education, European Journal of Humour Research, Language Matters, International Journal of Multilingualism, Forum for Linguistics Studies, Journal of Black Studies, among others. He is an academic mentor and a resource person, a member of revered academic and professional associations, and has attended several local and international conferences.