Aesthetic Attires and Aura of Nigerialization in Rihlat ‘L-Bahth ‘An Insan (Travelogue)

Abstract

Rihlat 'li-Bahth ‘an insaan (Travellogue) is a play written and acted in
Arabic Language. Language is the searchlight and vehicle through which
social reality is beamed and shaped. Through language, a literary scholar
communicates with the unknown readers and projects their thoughts and
ideological dispositions. Therefore, the most significant items of any work
of literature have been recognized to be channelled through words which
reside in the particular range of meanings and attitudes which members
of any society attach to their verbal symbols, the mode of writing and
features of literary text that reflect some social practices in the society of
playwright. In the light of the above, this paper examines the linguistic
features of Rihlat 'li-Bahth ‘an insaan, using a descriptive analytic
method to depict the post-colonial context of Nigeria and
Schleiermacher’s Hermeneutic theory for understanding of the text was
considered appropriate for the study. Rihlat 'li-Bahth contains important
events that are common in the contemporary Nigerian society. In the
aesthetic view and linguistic choice of the author, the words related to
Nigerian society and its expressions were chosen to depictthe state of
Nation. The paper discovers that linguistic choice of the author and the
contexts of the play reflect the state of Nation and the author of Rihlat‘libahth
like other playwrights showcases the unresponsive nature of the
ruling class. The study concludes that the author skillfully draws from a
pool of narrative experiences and successfully established the social
situation of his country, Nigeria