Realism, Orality and Aesthetics of Everyday Life in Basit Olatunji's Going Back In Time

African writers are endowed with several literary tools through which they convey their messages and showcase their prowess. Existing studies have been treating realism, orality, and aesthetics of everyday life separately, lacking integrated accounts. They are yet to be identified as combined aesthetic categories. In this regard, this study examines ways in which realism and orality combine to illustrate the aesthetics of everyday life. Through the lens of Gerard Genette and Mieke Bal’s narrative theory, the study carries out a textual analysis of three selected engaging stories from Olatunji’s collection; the titular story, “Going Back in Time,” “Corporate Beggars,” and “Disco Road.” Using the text as a rubric, it is revealed that realism and orality in Nigerian fiction are attainable by referencing relatable issues usually drawn from the immediate environment and collective memory. Moreover, oral elements such as nicknames, songs, jokes, and mimicries are deployed to project the aesthetic nature of the past and present society. These elements are typically accompanied with the use of figurative expressions such as metaphors, hyperboles, and personifications to create a humorous atmosphere. The study concludes that orality and realism are combined categories to describe the aesthetics of everyday life.