SECTION E - African Prose LONELY DAYS - BAYO ADEBOWALE Examine the author's narrative technique in the novel?

Answer Details

Narrative technique refers to the methods a writer uses to tell a story: the point of view, the ordering of events, and the devices that shape the reader's experience. In Bayo Adebowale's Lonely Days, the technique is rich and distinctly African, blending third-person narration with flashback, oral tradition and interior reflection to portray the inner life of the widow Yaremi.

Third-person omniscient narration. The story is told by an all-knowing narrator who moves freely into Yaremi's thoughts and feelings while also reporting the words and attitudes of the community around her. This viewpoint allows the reader both to share Yaremi's private grief and to see how society judges her.

Use of flashback. Adebowale relies heavily on flashback. In her lonely present, Yaremi constantly recalls her past life with Ajumobi, their courtship, marriage and companionship. These memories interrupt the present action, deepen characterisation and explain the sense of loss that gives the novel its title.

Oral tradition: proverbs, songs and folklore. The narration is saturated with Yoruba oral resources. Proverbs, wise sayings, songs, tales and references to custom and belief give the prose a traditional flavour and root the story in its cultural setting. This technique also conveys communal values and comments on the action.

Interior monologue and reflection. Much of the novel unfolds through Yaremi's meditations. Her reflections on loneliness, widowhood rites and the pressure to remarry reveal her strength of mind and turn a simple plot into a study of character.

Episodic, descriptive structure. Rather than a tightly plotted sequence, the novel proceeds through episodes of village life and vivid description of rural activity, building a full picture of the community that surrounds Yaremi.

In conclusion, Adebowale's narrative technique, combining omniscient narration, flashback, oral tradition and reflective monologue, gives Lonely Days its psychological depth and cultural authenticity, making the reader intimately acquainted with Yaremi's world and her struggle.