A STUDY OF LANGUAGE VARIATION IN CHINUA ACHEBE'S NO LONGER AT EASE

Abstract

This research paper investigates Achebe's depiction of English language variation in his novel, ‘No Longer at Ease’, and examines his purpose for doing so and how this has contributed to the success of his narrative. The research makes use of primary and secondary data which are the extracts drawn from the chosen text and from published sources on the core concerns of the study. Variationist Sociolinguistic Theory is employed as a theoretical framework while the content research analysis method is used in analyzing the writer's depiction of linguistic variation in accordance with the research objective. Findings of the research indicate that Achebe's English language use in No Longer at Ease depicts the English language variants (standard, Nigerian, pidgin, and a blend of local colour) that exists in Nigeria which are occasioned by socio-cultural factors such as education, ethnicity, age, sex, and speech contexts. The paper concludes that a key contributor to Achebe's success in the novel is his ability to fictionally depict the language variants in use in Nigeria, the sociocultural constraints that give rise to these variants and how these ultimately reflects his country's sociolinguistic environment.