THE CHALLENGES TO DOMINANT NARRATIVES OF OUTCASTS IN NIGERIA: THE CASE OF AHMED YERIMA’S OTAELO
Keywords:
Osu-caste,, Psychological Trauma,, and Cultural Erasure. Abstract
This paper is a study of the outcast challenges in Ahmed Yerima’s Otaelo. It is a
well-known fact that the outcasts face a lot of challenges in their society. This study,
therefore, focuses on how the Osu-caste is marginalised and discriminated against,
and how these abnormalities cause friction and division among members of the
society. The Osu-caste victim experiences psychological trauma because of the illtreatment he gets from his people. As a literary study, this work employed an
analytical approach in discussing the text under consideration. This paper reviews
through text that the dominance of the freeborn castes triggers the resistance of the
Osu-caste. The study is significant in its proposition because it is anchored on the
cultural erasure of the Osu-caste in Igbo society. Advocating against the caste
system, therefore, promotes equality, justice, and human rights for those involved,
regardless of their birth background.
