Abstract
Narrative and literary-metaphor are literary
forms and formats of literature employed by writers in scripting historical
archives, mediating structural realities, intervening in socio-cultural
contexts and moderating contemporary textual creativity. They are also employed
by artistes in translating literary texts and interpreting them into
contrived-reality, pseudo-reality and virtual-reality scenarios in our
globalised post-modernist world. The intersections of popular democracy and
government narrative metaphors amid the resource-curse dilemma, is the focus of
this study. Governments globally derive
from the people, and narrative literary elements guide the communication and
interpretations of policies and determine how the people can be focused on
these policies and goals. However, governance narrative elements and its
metaphorical intents do not always serve noble purposes for the peoples’
benefits and aspirations for nationhood, but can be altered, adjusted or
contrived to serve other nefarious purposes in governance. This paper draws
from the assertions of narrative theorists such as Todorov, Propp and Barthes
to deliver an assay of the consequences of literary narratives within the
context of mixed-metaphors and resource-curse dilemma that impinge upon good
governance dynamics in Nigeria and Africa.
