Chapter Four

Data Analysis and Discussion of Findings

4.1 Introduction

In a bid to carry out a stylistic analysis on Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba
Segi’s Wives and especially focus on the writer’s deviation from the norm of communication,
interpretive qualitative method was adopted with the theoretical framework being textual
analysis. This chapter aims to show the analysis of the data collected randomly from each of the
twenty-eight chapters of the prose text.

The twenty-eight chapters in the text form the data for this research. At least two
appropriate expressions were picked randomly in each of the chapters. These data were analysed
using the fitting literary stylistic tools with clear attention to the foregrounding elements of the
data as this help provide answers to the research question stated in this study.

4.2 Analysis

4.2.1 Datum one (Belly Ache)

This is the first chapter of the story. It got its title from the feeling Baba Segi was having towards
the Bolanle’s ‘barrenness’. Due to this discomfort, Baba Segi was bent on getting solution to this
problem by visiting Teacher whom most men view as a wise advisor. It was this man that
advised Baba Segi to take Bolanle to the hospital for medical attention. The readers were
exposed to Baba Segi’s polygamous family and the event that led to Bolanle’s marriage to Baba
Segi.

4.2.1.1 Texture Analysis of the Chapter

1. He observed the jerky rise and fall of her bosom

Imagery: The above expression showcases the writer’s use of kinaesthetic imagery. This deals
with painting the picture of a movement in the mind of the readers. Lola shoneyin successfully
used this in the expression above. The writer did not just use this, she used the literary device to
deviate from the normal way of human thinking to the authentic way Baba Segi was reasoning at
that moment. To be clear, what is meant is that because of the discomfort Baba segi was going
through and the fact that he found it difficult to sleep, he was not suppose to take his wife’s
breast serious. But Shoneyin foreground the point that human brain works in a funny way some
times.

Point of View: The above Foregrounding is made possible because the author used the
omniscient point of view. Because the narrative is about Baba Segi, one would expect a first
person point of view. The author deviated from this expectation in order to prove the point stated
above.

2. He had boasted of his conquest: how Bolanle was tight as a bottleneck; how he pounded
her until she was cross-eyed; and how she took the length of his manhood on her back –
splayed out and submissive.

Euphemism: this usually means saying something unpleasant in a pleasant manner. This
research did not see the use of ‘pound’ and ‘manhood’ as euphemistic remarks rather as a
deviation from the usual way of using the literary device. This is because to most people,
manhood and pound still sound unpleasant and in fact most parent will not like their young
children read a book like that. The reason for the use can be traced to the point that the writer
is interested in revealing the true-self of Baba Segi instead of the normalcy of life.

Metaphor: ‘Conquests used in the above expression usually mean winning a battle and
dominating/possessing a territory or a group of people. Baba Segi used it to describe how he
dominated Bolanle during while making out. He talked in this manner so as to boast of how
capable and sexually strong he is. The last part of the expression is used by Baba Segi to
inform other men present of his enormous and strong genital which is makes every woman –
including his graduate wife submissive.

Simile: ‘As tight as bottleneck’ is an example of Simile in the expression. It foregrounds

Baba Segi's claim that he married a young and innocent young lady as being tight here is a
sexual connotation.

4.2.2 Datum 2 (Polygamist)

Bolanle is the narrator in this chapter. She spoke of her choice to get married into a
polygamous family because of a reason yet unsaid. She also mentioned her mother's
objection to it and her own obstinacy to marry Baba Segi. Bolanle got introduced to Baba
Segi’s polygamous family and she thought she would be welcomed better than she got. She
offered to relate well with them but they kept refusing her offer of peace as they see her as a
threat to their love and sleep with Baba Segi. She narrated little of the things she goes
through in the hands of the wives- especially Iya Segi and Iya Femi and their children.

4.2.2.1 Textual Analysis

1.” Polygamy is for gold diggers and Bush dwellers, not for educated children brought up in a
good Christian home”
Flashback and Narrative Technique: The writer did well in taking her readers to the past. She did
that by switching from the initial omniscient narrative technique to a first person narrative
technique thereby making Bolanle accountable to her own past.

Symbolism: Bolanle's mother compares marrying into a polygamous home as gold digging
which she does not expect from her daughter whom she sent to school and trained well. ‘Bush
dwellers in the expression is used antithetically with educated children to reveal what is meant
by Bush dwellers - illiterates. The writer used this because she reasoned many readers may note
that Baba Segi, a polygamist is a city (Ibadan) dwellers.

2. “Give my new wife one loaf each"

Symbolism: symbolism appears in the use of the word ‘new’ by Baba Segi. This explains to the
reader that Baba Segi is a proud polygamist. He sees marriage as property possession. The word
‘new' points to the other Wives that they now have a new rival who is his new favorite. This, of
course instills envy in the mind of these older Wives but Baba Segi is unconcerned as he believes
is capable of satisfying everyone. Thus excerpt features a deviant meaning of ‘new' as used by
Baba Segi

4.2.3 Datum Three (Heavy Period)

This chapter begins with Baba Segi being furious at not seeing Bolanle in her room. His
insecurity and inferiority complex – which he refuses to admit to throughout makes him feel
Bolanle has eloped after taking his money. His Wives does not help as well as they make
comment that it is a normal thing for a graduate to do. Not long after was Bolanle found in the
sitting room. They dressed up and left for University College Hospital. Baba Segi also displays
his illiteracy and possessive ideology by wanting to do the talk all the time. He encounters a
problem with the doctor that does not allow him have things his way. He also boasts of his
‘fleet’s of children and the point that the fault is with Bolanle.

4.2.3.1 Textual Analysis

1. “What have you lost Baba Segi?” Iya Segi flung her room door open. “It’s Bolanle, she’s
gone.m! She must have run away in the middle of the night. All the money I spent on her is
wasted. My graduate is gone.

Hyperbole: this may really not be how hyperbole is expected to be used, Baba Segi’s shout and
complaints can be viewed as one. Mentioning: all my money wasted is worthy of attention. He
said it such a way that one would think he sponsored Bolanle in school.
Metaphor: Yes, Bolalanle is a graduate – as reported in the text. Thus research sees the use of
‘grafuatr' in the context as being a metaphor for ‘my most expensive and classy wife’ It is clear
that Baba Segi marries Bolanle so he can boast of marrying a young graduate even with his own
level of education and number of Wives. He wants people to see that he has what other men does
not have.

2. Do you and your husband do have regular coitus?

Euphemism: ‘coitus’ here is used by the doctor to mean sexual interiors. This is used so as not to
be direct with the expression or offend the patients. This is as a result of the doctor's knowledge
of how Ibadan dwellers interpret things.

Dramatic Irony: the word ‘coitus’ has some humorous feel and Baba Segi's reaction gave up a
dramatic irony. The readers and the other present two character already decodes what is meant
but Baba Segi keeps flaring and raging at the use of words they think he does not understand. He
then humorously uses ‘bamboozle’ in the expression that follows the excerpt as a show of his
intelligence .

4.2.4 Datum Four (Cracks)

This chapter explores the shortcomings in Bolanle’s lives. The writer uses Bolanle as the narrator
here. She recounts how sex is not an interesting thing to her due to how Baba Segi does it. Not
only this, she mentions how Baba Segi spoke to her harshly due to her childless state especially
after he discovered she had once had an abortion. Since she finds joy in going to the market, she
took the readers through her visit to the market.

4.2.4.1 Textual Analysis

1. Listen to yourself! He shouted. “Does your blood not boil when you see other women carrying
babies on their backs? Do tears not fill your eyes?”

Hyperbole: In a normal sense, it is not possible for blood to boil. The expression is used to show
Baba Segi’s hyperbolic prowess and pain towards Bolanle's childlessness. Grammatically,
‘blood’ boiling is impossible. The Norms was deviated from in order to foreground the serious
state of the issue. These questions express the societal belief attached to barrenness among
Yoruba people and Africans at large.

2. “I won’t take a kobo more than five hundred naira from a beatiful lady like yaself"

Pun: Here, the writer played on the graphology of ‘beautiful’ written as ‘beatiful' and ‘yourself’
written as ‘yaself'. The writer played on these words on the grapho-semantic level in order to
show that the trader is an Igbo man. This is a deviation made to foreground tonal identification.

4.2.5 Datum Five (Sharing)

Iya Tope is the narrator for this chapter. She gave her stance on Bolanle's arrival. She noted that
the only thing painful to her is the sex timetable that will be adjusted to their demerit. She
revealed to the readers what the other two Wives have been planning against and how she is not
contented with it but cannot inform her because of the secret among them. She recognises her
docility as a weakness and has already accepted her fate. She was later sidelined by the other two
Wives during the evil plan for Bolanle.

4.2.5.1 Textual Analysis

1. Our-mother-of-the-home was quiet. The stone in her throat mobed up and down like beads on
a dancer’s hip.

Metaphor and Simile: Iya Tope’ narration of the countenace of Iya Segi is quite humorous and
insulting. She compares her laryngeal prominence to a stone. She then indirectly relate the
movement of the Adam’s Apple to the “bead on a dancer's hip". This shows Iya Segi’s
frustration and that she is in a tensed mood. The unity in these two figures properly foregrounds
the writer’s meaning.

3. “Let me ask you this: what does our husband value more than what fills his mouth?” Iya
Femi’s eyes widened “Children”

Symbolism: Iya Segi’s question above infer to the point that there are two things cherished by
Baba Segi; these are Food and Children as supported by Iya Femi. They agree that he loves
children more and that was why they had to get him some. Because Bolanle is hated and there is
plan to send her out of the Alao's family, they refused to share their secret to getting children
with Bolanle in a bid to send her packing as they know their husband does not joke with
children.
4.2.6 Datum Six (Rathead)

In this chapter, Iya Segi and Iya Femi launched their first attack in a bid to see out Bolanle.
They do this by planting a charm-like object in Bolanle room. Due to clear evidence against
Bolanle, Baba Segi is furious and hurt Bolanle by pinning her to the wall. He becomes calm
when she realises there was no fear in Bolanle’s eyes but calmness and she is full of
explanation. Alas! Their plan fails. Baba Segi then goes to Ayikara, Teacher’s place the next
day for some counsels. After Baba Segi’s narration, Teacher’s gets that it is a set up and
advised Baba Segi to treat them with wisdom and stop showing favouritism.

4.2.6.1 Textual Analysis

1.” It was as if Esu himself came down to dine in my house yesterday evening. I tell you I could
have killed Bolanle”.

Allusion and Simile: the writer through Baba Segi alludes Esu, a god in Yorubaland who is in
charge of causing confusion among people. This set the scene for the perfect comparison of Esu's
presence with the event which occurred in Baba Segi’s home a day before. This expression help
convey to teacher the extent of the issue.

2. “Women do not hesitate to become cannibals when they are hungry. That is why I have never
kept one . Some people laugh about this behind my back but what they don’t know is this: he
who does not have a head has no need for a cap".

Metaphor: ‘hungry as used by Teacher refers to ‘being hungry for attention and sex'. He means
that these Wives sees Bolanle as a young graduate who is interested on snatching away their
husband. The teacher then justifies his bachelorhood by saying the problem women give
discourages him from having one.

Epigram: the last sentence of the excerpt is a witty saying. By this, Teacher means that he does
not need to bother himself about marriage problem when he can avoid it by remaining a single
individual.

4.2.7 Datum Seven (Queen)

This chapter is narrated by Iya Femi and she easily gives herself out to the audience as a
materialistic woman. She believes what they did to Bolanle is the best thing and meet with Iya
Segi for a proper and quicker way to chase Bolanle out of the house. Iya Segi notes that Iya Segi
disgust her especially with her “kruuk" sound which makes her compare her with a frog. She
flashes back to one of the wickedness she has done to the other three Wives when their husband
puts her in charge of family dresses. She made her own very okay like a queen while others look
very bad.

4.2.7.1 Textual Analysis

1.”Let us cut her feathers!” She says

Metaphor at Lexico-semantic level: “Feathers" here is wrongly used. The right word for that
expression is ‘wings'. The writer chose to use feathers because that translates directly to ‘iye' in
Yoruba. ‘iye’ in Yoruba refers to both ‘feathers ‘ and ‘wings’ in Yoruba. This use by the writer
shows the level of education of the speaker. Talking of metaphor, feathers refers to pride. By
cutting her feathers the mean getting rid of her pride.

2. Let us thank the gods she did not tell Bolanle before then, I thought she would frag Bolanle to
her bedroom to breastfeed her.

Metaphor and Imagery: the docile nature of Iya Tope and Bolanle’s gentility are represented
with the expression above. By breastfeeding, they refer to Iya Tope feeding Bolanle with all of
their evil plans for her. Additionally, breastfeeding draws a visual imagery as readers imagine iya
Tope breastfeeding a grownup like Bolanle. This is a deviation from the use of that word. This
gives room for proper foregrounding of the writer’s meaning.

4.2.8 Datum Eight (Trade)

Ishola Alao’s first wife, Iya Segi speaks on her personality in this chapter. She makes it know
how she detest Iya Tope and how she loves antagonising her. She also informs the readers how
she got her husband to setup her trade for her after the birth of her second child. She sees herself
as smart and better than other Wives and women, in fact.

4.2.8.1 Textual Analysis

1. “Iya Tope, why are you begging for hair cream?” I asked. “Are you not satisfied with what
your husband gives you that you have to scrounge?”. You should be ashamed of yourself.

1. Rhetorical Question: Iya asks the two questions in that excerpt successively without waiting
for Iya Tope’s response because she wants Iya Tope to see something bad in relating with Bola
and she wants her to be hostile to Bolanle just as she and Iya Femi are.

Metaphor: Iya Tope has done nothing to deserve the word “scrounge". What iya Segi does with
the excerpt is to call her a bigger or a scavenger without knowing or refusing to understand what
really transpired.
Hyperbole: Iya Segi’s reaction is a deliberate exaggeration of the whole issue. She has spoken
largely more than the situation requires. She uses this to indirectly inform Iya Tope that they are
not pleased with her closeness with Bolanle who they see as their ‘enemies'

4.2.9 Datum Nine (Iya Tope)

Iya Tope begins her narration with a flash back to nine years before when all she thought of and
loved was weeding. This describes her gentle nature and her as a lover of stress free activities.
She also speaks of how her desperate father gave her away to Baba Segi as gift offering. She
then begins to endure Baba Segi’s loveless sex with his enormous manhood. She comes across a
meat seller with whom she start to sleep rver week with the knowledge of iya Segi.

4.2.9.1 Textual Analysis

1.“My daughter, men want women who can work beside them on the farm, not behind them!
Your younger sister has suitors who would climb a thousand trees to win her hand.

Symbolism: the expression ‘men want women who can work beside them and not behind them is
a pointer to the individual of society we live in. Unlike some societies where they will rather use
‘walk beside African society sees women working machines who they need to gather into a
house, nurture and make to produce .Ore machines. Also, it is clear that the society in the setting
of the story does not believe that a woman must live first before arrange is done. In the book
marriage is all about who can take care of a lady. This is observed when Iya Tope says : …win
her hand’ and not ‘ win her heart).

2. For three years, that was how I lived; three days of pummeling from Baba Segi and a day of
healing from the meat seller.

Metaphor: Iya Tope refers to Baba Segi’s sexual intercourse with her as ‘pummeling which
means ‘beating. This shows Iya Tope does not perceive it as enjoyable as it should have been.
Due to this, she finds an alternative – satisfaction and joy with the meat seller. This a deep
revelation to the readers as part of the secret among the three older Wives.

Antithesis: ‘pummeling’ and ‘healing’ are two contrasting things. They show the difference
between Iya Tope’s feeling with Baba Segi and that with the meat seller.

4.2.10 Datum 10 (Rouge)

Baba Segi is portrayed as a man who find it difficult apologise and all he does to to keep money
for Wives he offends. Bolanle gathered the money and visits the market to make herself happy. It
was there she discovers that the products she got from the Igbo man are stolen goods. She visits
her mother from there and the flash back device is used to reveal who her mother is. On getting
home, she goes straight to destroy the items she initially got from the market.
4.2.10.1 Textual Analysis

1. He makes peace his own way and it involves tattered brown envelopes bursting with fifty-
naira notes, thrust beneath doors at dawn.

Symbolism: the ‘tattered brown envelopes ‘ symbolises apology in Alao' family coming from
Baba Segi. He believes money can sort everything.

2. The bats were on their daily pilgrimage, the sky was awash with them. As a child, I’d always
marvel at their fluidity, how ,like dirty water, they poured onto the graying sky in organized
chaos: a chosen few dropping to the flanks , floating awhile before rejoining the rest of the cloud.

Paradox: ‘the bats were on their daily pilgrimages is a paradoxical statement as ordinarily, it
makes no sense to say that the bats are on pilgrimage, but a closer look reveals that so far they
have made it an habit, it can as well ve describes as pilgrimage.

Simile and oxymoron: the fluidity of these bats was compared to Dirty water which was poured
on to the graying cloud…’organised chaos' Is an exmaplenof oxymoron. That brought about this
is the orchestrated movement of the bats

Symbolism: the bats used in the expression can in a way refer to the police as they march down
the vehicle. Their uniform goes along with the bat’s on the sky. This in a way satirises the
Nigerian police.

4.2.11 Datum 11 (Iya Segi)

Iya Segi recounts the story her mother told her, her own life experience while younger and how
she ended up marrying Ishola Alao. She was a young girl with ardour for trade and she was
successful at it. All that mattered to her was making money and she was encouraged by her
mother from whom she got the passion. She got home one day and realised her money was no
where to be found. When she challenged her mother, she told her she had given them to the man
who would married her. It was her money Baba Segi used in starting up his business that was
how she got married to Baba Segi and after some years, Baba Segi started bringing other Wives
home who she accepted without complains.

4.2.11.1 Textual Analysis

1. I was an enormous child. My mother said I made her back curve like cat’s tail.

Simile: Iya Segi’s mother uses this simile to describe herself while pregnant with iya Segi

2. My mother grew weaker until death shone in her eyes, I could see it
Metaphor: here, Iya Segi describes her observation on her mother’s look while telling her to
marry Ishola. Death does not shine, light does. It can be argued that life is synonymous with light
and death is synonymous with darkness. Saying “death shone in her eyes can be said to be
paradoxical as well.

4.2.12 Datum 12 (Theater)

This chapter features when Bolanle went for her appointment at the laboratory for her test. She
then shared with the audience what happened to her ten years ago, how she got raped, got
pregnant, had an abortion and successfully hid it from her parents.

4.2.12.1 Textual Analysis

1. My eyes caught a sign on the wall. IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER BABY GIRL, BLAME
DADDY!

Symbolism: the writing on the wall really passed a very deep and important message to Bolanle
as she remembers Iya Tope whom Baba Segi blames for having just girls and no boy. They
diagnostic center ensures the writings are in upper case. This is for easy and fast reading. The
writer inserts the writing into her work to foreground the strong information that women are not
be blame when it comes to gender or inability to conceive.

2. “Ten years ago, I stood beneath that same agbalumo tree not far from here. I was alive then.

Flashback and Paradox: the author uses Flashback here to ensure Bolanle answers questions that
readers would have been itching to ask since it was revealed Bolanle had once had an abortion.
Bolanle introduced us to the Fkashback by saying “ when ai was alive “ what this means is that
she was her normal self then. She was a girl who has bright dreams of becoming great in life,
unlike now when she no longer think about all of those. Her dreams are dead.

4.2.13 Datum Thirteen (Iya Femi)

Iya Femi begins her narration with a Flashback to when she lost her parents and her uncle sent
her out be be used as a house maid at a woman whom she called grandma. She narrated all she
went through and how she ended up having a sex affair with the woman’s son, Tunde. She
explains that she had to beg Taju to talk to Baba Segi to marry her. The man did and she became
the third wife. She then explains how she handles the goat( Iya Tope) and the frog( Iya Segi).
4.2.13.1 Textual Analysis

The frog was relentless. She taught me tricks that helped me get better of the goat “Do this for
Baba Segi” She’d say. “ it will make him love you more"

“More than he loves you?” I’d ask

Then she’d make that sound in her throat. Kruuk kruuk just like a frog.

Symbolism; Iya Femi uses goat and frog to describe iya Tope and Iya Segi respectively due to
their characters she hate. In the above excerpt, she does not like Iya Segi but kept on relating
well to her because of words of wisdom she is gaining from her. LOLA shoneyin reveals to the
reading audience, through Iya Femi, the meaning of “kruuk kruuk' she has been been using
whenever iya Segi comes into a conversation.

Onomatopoeia: kruuk kruuk is a sound depicting a frog. It is used well to justify the use. Because
Iya Segi is big, it is very understandable that she does that.

4.2.14 Datum Fourteen (Homeward)

It was Kole's birthday and his mother and Iya Segi had plan to poison Bola's food. They did this
without informing Iya Tope. After poisoning the food they kept it in her room as she was out
early to get Kole a birthday gift. On her way from the market she stopped at her mother’s place.
She met her mother in a critical condition and had to tell her about her rape . She could not
believe it and was very sad. Leaving there, Segi ran to and started begging her not to tell at
home about her escapades. Bolanle played along and Segi started calling her auntie. She infact
followed her to her room where she ate the food left for Bolanle. She willingly gave ittoo her.

4.2.14.1 Textual Analysis

1. BEFORE MAMA FLOPPED ONTO THE cushions on the cane arm chair, she did what
looked like a jig: left turn, foot forward, arms akimbo, arms down, flap.

Simile: Bolanle compares her mother’s crashing onto the cushion to that of a jig. This is as for
sure not the way she should think at that moment but as explained earlier, Lola Shoneyin used
realism rather than normalcy.

2. NO! She jerked her head from side to side. Her voice drizzled into a whisper “ you couldn’t
have been raped. No daughter of mine could be raped that is not the way I brought you up.

Symbolism: to Bolanle’s mother, bad things only happen to Children not well brought up or
perhaps it’s because of the shock she is going through upon hearing about the incidence.
4.3 Discussion of Findings

After applying the methodology discussed in the previous chapter, the study came out with some
results which are tendered in this subsection. These results also provide answers to the research
questions of this study.

The first finding is that Lola Shoneyin used styles that show the personalities of each of the
major characters in the text. An instance is the ‘kruuk kruuk’ sound affixed to Iya Segi. Hardly
could she finish a turn without making the sound. This attribute exemplifies ‘style as man'. With
Iya Segi’s narration in chapter eight and iya Femi’s Description in chapter thirteen, it was made
clear to the audience that Iya Segi is a big woman. This of course affect her breathing and made
her constantly give out the ‘kruuk' sound which made Iya Femi describe her as a ‘frog'. A look at
Iya Tope’s childhood as given by herself in chapter nine gave the readers insight into the nature
of iya Tope and why she found it difficult planting evil with the other Wives against Bolanle.
The writer through Iya Tope used ‘weeding' as a symbolic element to explain Iya Tope’s
docility. She was not a fan of planting and harvesting as she saw them as a herculean task. Iya
Femi' s materialistic nature drove all of her actions through out the play as she cares just about
herself. She demonstrated this when she was put in charge of getting the other Wives a family
attire. Bolanle on the other hand already thought herself as someone with shattered dream and
was ready to live for Baba Segi. Her early rape and abortion is a factor which fuelled the
decision as she agrees that no one will want to marry her if not a polugamist like Baba Segi who
would not ask questions. This feeling and decision made her accept fate and ready to live with
whatever she was going through in the hands of Baba Segi’s Wives. Lola Shoneyin ensured
each of the characters stuck with their distinctive styles throughout the story. Style in that regard
became man and it was idiosyncratic of the characters.

Stream of consciousness came into play with the narrative technique employed by Lola
Shoneyin. This mark style as ‘dialectical relationship between message and medium'. To pass her
message, the writer ensured every of the major characters disclose to the readers the reason
behind their actions and how they got to where they were in the text. The writer then cap it all up
by using the omniscient narrative technique to go into the minds of each character in order to
reveal what they might not want to disclose during their narration. It was found out that Lola
Shoneyin knows the message she was trying to pass and used the appropriate medium to pass it.
The reading of the text was sweet to the heart as the medium gelled well with the message. The
constant use of Flashback also gave the text a cinematic transition feel. The narrators switch
from the present to the past easily and in a way that made it enjoyable to the readers.

Critics may feel that as enjoyable as the use of Flashback is in the text, it deviates from the
standard of the use. This study discovered that the use of Flashback present the story like an
interview where the wives, the husband and Taju, the driver were told to disclose all they know.
Meanwhile, during the first narrations of the wives, especially Iya Tope’s. The readers were
made to believe there is a big secret which she or any other them disclosed initially. This secret
concealing made the use of Flashback in that respect lose it’s stance as it ought to give every
detail. Another device which may be viewed as a failure by critics is the omniscient narrative
technique. It was created to reveal character's hidden agenda. This ‘improper' use is what can be
described as a breaking away from the norm. She broke from this in order to create her own style
rather than following the ways of other writers. As said, these help foreground the message the
writer is trying to pass. Irregular Flashbacks can be linked with the confusions in Baba Segi’s
family.

It was also revealed during the course of analysis that words like ‘coitus', ‘pummeling', healing
‘fuck’, ‘seeds, ‘body water' and a host of others are all languages used “euphemistically' to
portray sex. It was observed in this study that these are not proper euphemism. The writer her
deviated from the standards. ‘body fluid should have replaced ‘body water and semen', ‘make
out' could have been the standard expression to replace the former but because the writer wanted
to properly portray how Ibadan people, the setting of the play, speak and she most of the time did
direct translation of most expressions and thereby made it lack most of euphemistic nature. This
deviation, as discussed above, made her stand out with her piece. This text is about reality and
not standard.

Symbolism played a key role in revealing the writer’s stance on the work. From the bel lache to,
the poisoned food, rat head and the likes. . They are special words that stand