ABSTRACT
This research work is of important impact to everyone with interest in the linguistic features present in Ferdinand Oyono’s Houseboy, because it has to a good extent observe how the various linguistic features of Houseboy is accurately, thoughtfully and carefully selected such that it significantly aid and add to the message, the theme, the meaning, the context, and the plot development in general.
Furthermore, this research paper comments on how the linguistic features of Houseboy is artistically, aesthetically, and prolifically exploited to produce a worthy literary piece, impressive to the readers yet significantly holding in it historical facts. That is to say, through the pages of Oyono’s novel, history is again ‘re-lived’ by the readers. An analysis of Oyono’s effective use of language inthe novel portrays the dehumanization of the Black employees (househelps), exploitation, colonial oppression, culture and identity degradation, hypocrisy and discriminations experienced by the Blacks in the hands of their selfishly motivated colonial masters using Toundi, the protagonist and other characters.
Also, through Oyono’s calculated use of language we are able to discuss the protagonist, as a man of dual identity. Who willingly and by the hands of fate trades his homely nativity in pursuit of the Whiteman’s ironic "sweet”. However, this is not to say that every white are racial and segregating but the intention is to reemphasise that the colonial era is dominated by many whose intent is to explore and extort contrary to what it seem like they brought in form of a genuine religion; that preaches love and equity.
Language has successfully been used to reflect more clearly the state of colonial chaos and conflict prevalent in the colonial era, while also looking at religious hypocrisy and societal discrimination. However, this essay specializes in observing how Oyono is able to achieve all these via the use of varying style and linguistic deviations.
Finally, being a linguistic cum literary study- literary stylistic, this essay has explore Ferdinand Oyono's Houseboy using sociological, colonial, marxist, moralist and new formalist approach as applicable literary theories while, the linguistic study cuts accross an observation and analysis of the phonological, graphological, grammatical and lexico-semantical deviations and prominence observable in the text.
