INTERROGATING THE OSU CASTE SYSTEM IN JUDE OGU’S THE SECRETS OF NOTHING

Abstract

There exists a caste system among the Igbo ethnic group of Nigeria. The Igbo society where the caste system is practised is divided into Osu and Diala or the cult slaves and the freeborn. It is an obnoxious form of social discrimination with those considered to be Osu at the receiving end. Studies indicate that legislative and religious measures have failed to address the scourge. Literary artists have portrayed the problem in their literary works with a view to mitigating it. The present study therefore examines the portrayal of the system in Jude Ogu’s novel, The Secrets of Nothing using the theoretical orientation of Cultural Criticism. Shalizi (2021:1), says that Cultural Criticism is what is practised by cultural critics, the intellectuals formerly known as moralists and publicists, before those became dirty words. That is to say, they are those who have taken it upon themselves to describe the conduct of their fellow citizens to their fellow citizens, taking conduct in a very broad sense, including prominently that part of it which concerns moving ideas from one mind to another; to judge whether and how that conduct is wanting; and to suggest more desirable states of affairs.

Ogu, in this novel, interrogates the culture of his society that promotes social dichotomy and shows where the culture is wanting. The outcome of this study indicates that Ogu acknowledges the seriousness with which the system is considered by the society and prescribes measures for putting an end to the practice and its social implications. In this regard, Ogu can be accorded the status of a cultural critic.