CLASS CONFLICT IN RICHARD WRIGHT’S NATIVE SON AND FESTUS IYAYI’S VIOLENCE

Abstract

Class conflict also referred to as class struggle is the political tension and economic antagonism that exists in society consequent to socio-economic competition among the social classes or between rich and poor. It is the constant conflict among the existing strata in every society. Class conflict have attracted lots of attention in literary discipline across the world, especially in literature. This is because every day, new class continue to emerge and there is a conflict between those who have money and those who do not have money. Class conflict is as old as man and in every society, there is class conflict. In the two novels there is continuous strife between the two classes-the lower class in Native Son is represented by Bigger Thomas and in Violence by Idemudia and the root of the class is exploitation. Class conflict is dangerous because it has the power to affect the later turn-out of a person and leaves a lasting scar. The poor who depends on their labour power for survival are always neglected in the society as the rich controls and runs all the means of production and what they do is to exploit those who work. The purpose of this academic research is to explore the meaning and importance of class struggle in the context of the selected texts. In order for class conflict to lessen, we need to adopt the Marxist theory which is simply the reaction of the exploited to get rid of exploitation and the exploiters.