Equating and contrasting as critical stylistic devices in Helon Habila’s Oil on water

Abstract

Equating and contrasting are critical stylistic tools for an author to portray various world perspectives. This paper examines equating and  contrasting as critical stylistic devices in Helon Habila's Oil on Water. Using Lesley Jefferies's (2009) Critical Stylistic Model and a  qualitative textual design, the study examines extracts from the novel to demonstrate how equating and contrasting have been used to  project the theme of environmental pollution in Niger. The study analyzes and brings to the fore how both devices have been used to  simultaneously portray the psychological anxieties of characters and the polluted environment while contrasting the experiences of  social groups and their perspectives in the story. Through these devices, Helon Habila offers a variety of narratives that explicate the  socio-political and environmental challenges of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria.