Socio-cultural practicality of Oromo People as Represented in Novel

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to demonstrate how Gadisa Biru the authore of the novel `Kuusaa Gadoo` symbolize Oromo`s socio-cultural issues in a representative way in the life of characters and the major themes of the novel. The study is qualitative research, it involves textual analysis method together with relevant conceptual tools and frameworks and therefore it is analytical. Furthermore, the data used for the research is taken from primary source which is a novel entitled `Kuusaa Gadoo`. From the novel different extracts are taken based on the research questions. Extracts used as a data were classified under each topic and analyzed using textual analysis methods and realism theory. Then, the analysis and discussion were undertaken by using the concept of scholars to make the research more visible and logical. As a philosophy of realism theory, realism portrays the world as it really appears. Therefore, to evaluate the realistic representations of different agenda of the research, it is crucial to bring the idea in the text to the actual world. From the analysis and discussion made it is found that, in `Kuusaa Gadoo`, all events and episodes were realized in the novel without any fantasy and extraordinary overstatement. The socio-cultural situations realized in a novel `Kuusaa Gadoo`, is pictured in a similar way of Oromo people`s life style of the Derg regime. Even though the dictatorial government appreciated assimilation, the Oromos reserved their socio-cultural activities and practiced as much as possible. Among the socio-cultural elements reflected in the novel we can list friendship, confer, wedding and arbitration as major ones. In general, the novel `Kuusaa Gadoo` reflects the real socio-cultural situation of Oromo peoples during the Derg regime and the author critically perceived the actual picture of the society`s life and represented reasonably.