Literary Creativity and the Condition of the Nigerian Writer in the Age of Globalization and Capitalist.

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines the impact of social change on the Nigerian literary writer in the contemporary Nigerian society. The social change in the country, as in the rest of Africa, has been occasioned by globalization within a capitalist economy which Nigeria practices. Such change in the Nigerian social consciousness has made the African literary writer redefine his/her social identity and more than ever place emphasis on material acquisition. The new orientation of wealth acquisition, however, conflicts with the age-long stereotype of the African literary writer as an austere scholar whose main essence of living is to serve as a watchdog on the ills of the society. This is a reflection of the tenets of the philosophical theory of Determinism as the theoretical framework for the study. Globalization has exposed the Nigerian populace to glamorous lifestyle of Western celebrity, which the society expects the African literary writer to satisfy, in a stifling capitalist economy. Yet, literature, the means of income for the writer, has lost its dominance as the primary source of enlightenment in Nigeria. This may indicate that literary creativity is negatively affected in Nigeria. Consequently, vocational literary creativity may not be so lucrative to many people as a viable source of income. The writer is, therefore, caught between his/her role as the conscience of the society and the expectation of wealth acquisition that the glamour of globalization and an austere economy has madethesociety have of him/her. Key words: Literature, Globalization, African literary writer, Capitalism, Social change