TARKEN LITTAFIN MAZA GUMBAR DUTSE NA YUSUF M. ADAMU (2007)DA MAZAHABAR ALMARA DA RAHA

Abstract

The use of modern literary theories (as modern approaches to the study of literature) exists in university literature departments since the beginning of a new era around 1945 as it was introduced by the New Critics. These approaches were since then seen by some critics as an effort to provide a universallyacclaimed modern methods of literary criticism. Over the years, these approaches have been applied on so many literary works with different themes or perspectives the world over. This has also paved the way for Hausa literature to be among the African literatures which the usage of modern approaches have a positive impact on its aspect of literary criticism. As some critics still stick to the traditional approach, others use modern approaches without restriction, which gives them plurality of methods from which to choose. In view of this, this paper makes a consideration of a Hausa literary text and show how a practical work is made through application of the theories (mazahabobi) of literary criticism. This is made possible in dealing with a particular literary text. Among the Hausa literary genuses, a consideration of theses approaches was shown in their literary pieces. Many books of Hausa prose fiction have been written and which have as well been analysed textually. Therefore, Yusuf M. Adamu’s (2007) novel titled, Maza Gumbar Dutse, too, is the text that this paper critically examines using the Fantasy approach as its guiding principle, to bring out the author’s waltanshuung and his literary style as well as the issue of social life of man and his relationship with other spirits (jinns) within a given environment.