What narrative technique is commonly used in The Lekki Headmaster?

Answer Details

A flashback is a narrative technique in which the story interrupts the present timeline to revisit events that occurred earlier. In The Lekki Headmaster, this device is used extensively. Bepo frequently recalls past experiences - his early days at Stardom Schools, key encounters with colleagues, and formative events that shaped his outlook on education and migration. These recollections provide background and emotional depth, helping the reader understand how Bepo arrived at his present circumstances and why he makes the decisions he does.

Foreshadowing (hinting at future events) is a different technique and is not the dominant narrative strategy of this novel. Myth (the use of traditional or legendary stories) does not describe the novel's primary storytelling method. First-person narration would mean the story is told from Bepo's own voice using "I" - the novel is not structured this way.

Flashback is central to the novel's structure because it allows the author to weave together past and present, showing how Bepo's history as a teacher and his accumulated frustrations drive his eventual decision to consider leaving Nigeria.