Rites of Passage in Ọgbalu’s Novel, Obiefuna: An Archetypal Analysis

Abstract

Creative works in Igbo do embody elements drawn from the traditional life of the people. This paper, which discusses the ‘rite of passage’ in Ogbalu’s novel, Obiefuna, looks at it as a cultural phenomenon, which elicits a pattern of transformation and social mobility in traditional Igboman’s life as exemplified in the work of art. The paper x-rays the various transitory processes in Igboman’s life as illustrated in the novel, and concludes that courage and endurance, which some of the transitory stages require, are essential in human life as one faces the challenges of life. The paper also notes that the incorporation of this traditional material in the modern work of art in the novelist’s way of preserving in the Igbo culture and myth.