Childhood Neglect and Trauma in Yorùbá Literature: A Study of Selected Yorùbá Novels

Cultural and social circumstances contribute to the widespread problems of childhood neglect and trauma in Nigerian societies. Yoruba literature provides a space for analysing these problems. Although there are diverse forms of childhood neglect, little research has been done on these topics (childhood neglect trauma) in the context of Yoruba novels. This study, therefore, examines the presentation of childhood neglect trauma in selected Yoruba novels. It also explores manifestation and the healing and recovery strategies adopted in the selected novels. This study employs content and literary analysis to examine two selected Yorùbá novels: Kúyẹ̀ by Ọdúnjọ, J. F and Atótó Arére by Ọládẹ̀jọ Òkédìjí. This study also adopts Trauma theory to guide the analysis. Trauma theory was adopted to examine how trauma can disrupt one’s sense of self, perception of the world, and overall well-being. The analysis reveals that childhood neglect trauma emanates from deprivation of physical and mental needs of children, emotional torture, and rejection. This trauma manifests through self-blame, shame, and social difficulties. As portrayed in the novels, children can only overcome this trauma when there is adequate provision of physical and mental securities, stable living conditions, and supportive community interventions. Thus, the results highlight the importance of taking cultural contexts into account when addressing child neglect trauma, and this study advances our understanding of the trauma associated with child neglect in Yoruba society while also confirming the necessity of policy implementation and literary representation to address this issue.