Conflicts, Their Resolution and Social Development in Cornel Ujowundu's Nemesis

Abstract

In literary parlance, conflicts exist between protagonists and antagonists when their relationship is built on mutual hatred, suspicion, distrust, opposition, and rivalry. And the resolution of such conflicts is achieved when either the protagonist or antagonist surrenders, is defeated, disappears, or dies. In this premise in Cornel Ujowundu's Nemesis, these conflicts are identified: Okoli and his native doctors, the native doctors and members of the community, Uzoma and Okoli. While some of these conflicts were positively resolved, others got a negative resolution. For instance, the conflict between Okoli and his family was resolved by Uzoma through Okoli's truthful confession against his initial act and the abandonment of the imbecile in the bush behind his house to die, which brought countless deaths to his household. The conflict between Mike and his father over the annual sacrifice to the gods as a means of survival, which does not conform to Mike's beliefs, and finally, the conflict between Okoli and the Christian religion, which exposed his past crime that led to the salvation of his entire family in the limelight. Uzoma's conversion to Christianity made these possible. On the whole, conflict acts as a challenge to human intellect, and its resolution catalyzes peace and social development, as evidently demonstrated in Nemesis.