http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/13 2026-04-05T21:15:11Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2899 UNRAVELING THE COMPLEX TAPESTRY OF IDENTITY: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF COLONIALISM THROUGH DUL JOHNSON'S DEEPER INTO THE NIGHT Itapson, Grace This paper delves into the intricate web of identity formation and its profound connection to the enduring legacy of colonialism. Through a critical analysis of Dul Johnson's thought-provoking novel, Deeper into the Night, and employing the lens of postcolonial theory, we illuminate the multifaceted dimensions of identity as they are affected by the historical, cultural, and psychological aftermath of colonial rule. It also sheds light on how individuals and communities grapple with hybrid identities, the politics of representation, and the power dynamics inherent in the construction of postcolonial identities. This study investigates how colonialism has left an indelible imprint on the identity of the colonized. Deeper into the Night serves as an apt literary canvas through which we explore the characters' struggles with their own sense of self in the wake of colonialism's destructive forces. By examining their experiences, we uncover the enduring consequences of colonial domination, including the erasure of indigenous knowledge systems, the imposition of foreign ideologies, and the fracturing of cultural identities. 2023-09-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2322 X-BARS IN ACROSS THE GULF PETER, REDZIE With the assumption that there are structural ambiguities in Dul Johnson's novel 'Across the Gulf', this paper set out to find and disambiguate any sentence that conveys multiple meanings due to its structure. Sixteen questionnaires carrying five different sentences each were administered to a cross section of Bingham university students. Having numbered the questionnaires, odd numbers were narrowly selected for data presentation and analysis. it was discovered that there was no structural ambiguity. Also, the fact that all the sentences had multiple (though mostly wrong) lays credence to the claim that all locutionary acts are subject to illocutionary indeterminacy. The selected sentences were presented in tree diagrams, using Kornai and Pullum's version of X-bar theory. X-bar is a descriptive theory of syntax invented by Chomsky in 1970. Some of its claims were reconstructed by Andras Kornai and Geoffry Pullum in 1997. This paper is on English syntax. 2021-06-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2320 PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED DISCOURSE IN DUL JOHNSON’S ACROSS THE GULF OCHULOR, PRISCA GODSPOWER Abstract In communication, a listener infers or deduces a speakers’ intended meaning from utterances beyond the sematic context of the sentence uttered. This type of meaning cannot be captured only from the simple and semantic rules but also with the use of pragmatic principles like Grice’s cooperative principles which are not culture bound but universal in interpreting meaning. This paper is a Pragmatic Analysis of selected discourses in Dul Johnson’s Across the Gulf. The source of data is the primary text under review. The talks-exchanges were extracted to examine the dialogue collected for analysis. The paper examines utterances in the text arranged in a dialogue form in order to determine and interpret adherence or violation to Grice’s maxims using Grice’s (1975) cooperative maxims and their implicatures, based on the theoretical framework adopted for the study. The findings show that violation of Grice’s maxims is often unintentional as writers make effort through content to capture the realities of life in writing. The study concluded that analysis of a dialogue in a prose work brings a clearer picture of interlocutors’ use of language in a practical form and makes the implicature easier to interpret. The paper therefore recommends that creative writers should be encouraged to write as they are inspired but the knowledge of Grice’s maxim will be of great advantage to them. 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2299 Gender Variations in Language Use: An Analysis of Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche’s Purple Hibiscus OCHULOR, PRISCA GODSPOWER Abstract Language is the birthright of every human being regardless of gender. Sociolinguistic studies of gender show that variations in the use of language reflect social inequality and male dominance in so many societies. This paper examines how language creates a different world for the female gender, the world of social powerlessness, insecurity, and lack of assertiveness. In the light of this, the paper adopts Lakoff’s theory of women’s register along with descriptive and analytical methods relying mostly on the primary source of data (Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus). It posits that the language of the female gender as reflected in the works of fiction is a major challenge in positioning women in some sensitive positions in the society. The paper recommends that there should be an alternative presentation of female characters by writers as independent and assertive. This will enhance better positioning for women in the society, which will lead to an all-round change. 2018-09-19T00:00:00Z