IGWEBUIKE PHILOSOPHY IN ELECHI AMADI’S THE CONCUBINE

Résumé

African writers of Igbo origin have not relented in showcasing the igbo world-view through their works. In these works, the interconnectedness and interdependence of both individuals and communities can not be trivialized even in the advent of some individualistic foreign culture. Consciously or unconsciously, the village or community is treated as one entity while the family and individual persons become the branches that make up the village. The Concubine is one of such novels that portrays the interconnectedness and complementarity as described above. An in depth study of this work reveals that unity, solidarity and oneness are inextricable parts of the igbo society. There are, undeniably times when one‟s personal chi plays a crucial role in fulfilling certain individual destiny, but even in such cases, the community has it‟s contribution which is equally pertinent if any useful result will be achieved. Using an exploratory and an analytical approaches, this paper aims at appraising the Igwebuike philosophy in the afore mentioned work. If Igwebuike advocates unity, complementarity, collectivity and inclusion, then Amadi must have done justice in his debut novel by exposing an authentic igbo world-view even to his non-african readers.