IGNORANCE AND SUPERSTITION IN SEOGUDE & A.P MAMUDU’S PARABLES

SUMMARY

The research work has successfully exposed the ignorance and superstition in Parables of Power, edited by A.P. Mamudu. Stories in the collection which are studied thoroughly to display the ignorance of characters are Que Sera Sera (What will be will be) and The Curse by R.A. Masagbor. Also, short stories from the collection which are studied to show the irregularities in thought pattern of one who relies on superstitious beliefs to make decisions or choices are The Sacrifice by Agbo Eze andNineteen Eighty Four by Femi Unueshotse Balogun. In the text, Que Sera Sera (What will be will be) by R.A. Masagbor, the characters are display frailty of human nature and how one cannot predict the future. The belief that the Itakpes, Jane’s family, are cursed because of the inexplicable deaths in the family record is proven at the end of the story to b flawed. Jane’s parents rather did not calculate properly and ensure they were a match before getting married and procreating. Paul believing his parents and letting the society dictate for him, when science would have solved his dilemma shows he is human too. The effects of ignorance of the characters in this short story are avoidable, only if Paul knew better than accept hearsay and speculations. These effects are time wastage, depression, and pain. Paul had to leave Jane whom he loved to marry Helen because of pressure from his family. At the end of the day, he is not happy in the marriage and has a secret affair with Jane outside his marriage. Helen gives birth, and begins to get episodes of sickle cell disease attacks, then the child dies eventually. Helen also dies as a result of the sickness and multiple attacks.