The Year Of The Locust By Adebayo William: A Review

‘’. . . He had the honesty, courage and integrity to face up to reality and admit his guilty . . . he was a severely flawed man. He could be mean, vain, suspicious, malicious, and vindictive, but it was his heroic quality that captured the popular imagination at the end.’’ 

I intentionally started reviewing this book with the above important locus classicus said by two major characters in the book based on their individual subjective perspective on their friend, Dr. Dale who is happened to be the main character of the book. This book, having read it twice with deep concentration and critical perusal, I saw no reason why I shouldn’t unsheathe my pen from its casing if that is what it takes to subject the book to criticism. My second reading, two years after the first is a blessing especially as my eyes are made opened to the basic facts and the major incidents that bring about the plot of the book woven round sublimity in close proximity to the world of feminism and masculine vis-a-vis issues to social imbalance in the Nigerian university and unforgettably, issues surrounding matrimony. The book, being a tragedy makes it more emotional. The moments of the protagonist, Dr. Dale from his cradle to grave call for passion and affection.

Dr. Dale Joseph is presented eccentric, snobbish, and non-conformist university lecturer who lives smugly in the world of his own. Because of his no-nonsense-ness, many who should have been friends turn out to be foes. He is tagged sadist of the highest order due to his pinching criticism on government, society, and individuals. Despite this, the whole university regards and respects him because of his incomparable brilliance, intellectualism and his power of oration. It is believed that he is the greatest brain to have lectured in the department and the best read lecturer on campus. On many occasions, he has been summoned by government and university management over his public draconian lectures which always generate brouhaha and controversy; he is indeed plague at the eye of everybody including his own wife and only daughter, Lolu who always stones him with syllables of hot words for his high temperedness and maltreatment towards them. Being a studious lecturer, he hates being labelled with the narrow reputation of scholarship. He has always determined never to be found in the race of murderous drudgery of awarding grades to female students or demanding cash from male counterpart as many lecturers do. He has always been on his words till he gets stormed by strange malady that calls for different tongue wagging on campus thereby presents him a hero who should be held sympathy at last. He later becomes gregarious to everybody afterwards with the help of his best friends, Dr.jaiye and Dr.Jackson before the flaming rumour fills the campus that he is in love with his student, Titi.

Undoubtedly, he has been in love with Titi after his matrimony seems doomed. All he wants for them is to be in solitude and alone in the world. And both travel out of the place where he is hated. The incident that aggravates the matter is when someone confirms their hidden relationship in his presence. When he is unable to cope with public disgrace coupled with regret and remorse of his past, he decides to drag himself out of the peculiar mess and choose suicide as the best alternative. After his death, huge sympathizers and those far from him when he is alive have no choice than to regard him hero who fights for the society and stands on platform of truth.

The book is although a complete tragedy of the highest other, yet we still need to consider the significant lessons derived from it. Some heroes while alive are not cherished until they die; some are even martyred and later immortalised after their death. The fact that the book presents an hero that can withstand the whelming and engulfing malice of the society gives hope for the masses; making the book an harbinger of hope. I salute the confidence of the book for looking into the problem of matrimony which has grown wing in the society, especially on the side of women.  It is a real fact that women are being subjected to seventy percent of the societal problem. They are being maltreated and made to face untold hardship. Mrs Dale is a replica of this in the text.  She is made to battle dying love from her husband before her little daughter who has been on her side turns out to be her foe. I like the way the book portrays friendship and cordiality. When seems to people that your principle is somehow draconian, they may find it difficult to cope with you, less the proximity between you and them is so close and lucid. Who can say if Dr Jaiye and Dr Johnson who have been Dale’s greatest enemy on campus can turn out to be his close friends? This is friendship indeed! Any long-lasting friendship must have a thin pedigree. These two gurus try to show their concern for Dale even while in hospital bed and after death asunders them. Similarly, I like the way and manner the plot events are intertwined, interconnected and interwoven via the technique of suspense and flashback. The flashback of Dale’s early village life and a problem faced as an orphan enable the reader to understand better where Dr Dale semi-lunatic and behavioural principle emerges from. The foreshadowing of his death in Lolu’s dream enables the book to blend between realism and fantasy of dream.

However, The Year of the Locust is a kind of book that leaves heart in eternal tragedy. Why is it that Dale dies after his enemies have begun to love and him see him as hero; why is it that the time his moon comes out of the shadowy sky is when he decides to commit suicide? Why is it that he has to die after he has realised his past errors and has remosed for it? I believe in the work of destiny but what the book presents as the cause of Dale’s death does not worth at all.  Can we also say the fact that Mrs Dale doesn’t have joy of matrimony till the last page of the book is hope for women? No! The encompassing portrayal of Mrs Dale,  despite her flaming love for her husband and messes she is subjected to among her female colleagues, without any reward besides tragedy upon tragedy, doesn’t give hope to women facing the same in the society. The portrayal of Lolu’s amazing behaviour, at her age subjects the book to criticism.