Post-Independence Disillusionment in Francis Imbuga’s Betrayal in the City and Aminata

Abstract

This article explores the theme of post-independence disillusionment in a selection of Francis Imbuga’s plays, namely: Betrayal in the City (1976) and Aminata (1988). This article involves a critical and analytical reading of the selected texts of Francis Imbuga in their depiction of post-independence disillusionment. The data is collected and presented under headings guided by the research objectives. During both the analytical and discussion stages, the article particularly considered the quantitative elements of recurrence and frequency with regard to the identified variables initially indicated in the textual checklist. This article concentrates on the ways in which disillusionment is depicted, the causes of disillusionment, and the identification of social-political groups affected by post-independence disillusionment. The investigation makes use of aesthetic, ethical and post-colonial literary theories. It scrutinizes several literary elements that make the selected plays aesthetically and ethically appealing. The post-colonial theory gives an insight into the post-independence disillusionment and this in turn connects Francis Imbuga’s selected plays to the current Africa. This article concludes that all citizens in post-independence states live under fear and tension since they are uncertain about the future. The leaders have political threats while some other groups of people like the poor and women are highly oppressed and all this is aesthetically presented raising the reader's interest, right from the first to the last play