Themes and style / language in Foreign Gods Inc. by Okey Ndibe

This work examine the themes and style employs by Okey Ndibe in Foreign Gods Inc. which captures or demonstrates the contemporary decadence in Nigeria and Nigerians in diaspora as well as Africa as a whole.

However, this work basically uses qualitative methodology of textual analysis of the novel, Foreign Gods Inc. It adopts the formalistic approach as it deals on form and contents which we are looking at as themes and style of narration in the novel. This is to enhance readers understanding of the possible themes in the work and the style therein.

We have been able to look at the themes of corruption, matrimony/marriage, and social segregation in chapter 2 of this work. Corruption is captured as an hallmark to survival in Nigeria as well as Africa in general. We also examine the discrepancies between what entails in western marriage and African traditional marriage. More so, we look at social segregation as a problem that truncates the unity of oneness of Utonki village. Having done that, we look at the style of narration employs in the novel in chapter 3 of this work. They are flashback, suspense, humour, irony, symbolism and language. Flashback reveals Ike, the protagonist as the next Chief Priest of Ngene deity. Suspense is the writer’s major devices used to arrest his readers for persistence as the story unfolds. Humour is copiously used for embellishment. Other devices or style are used altogether for aesthetic which help to pain a wonderful story in study.

Moreso, this study discovers the theme of corruption, social segregation and matrimony/marriage. The form is therefore, the style of narration employs by Okey Ndibe such as flashback, suspense, humour, irony, symbolism and language.