Group 6 (IF)

Group Members

● 1.Adeomi Daniel. Dra/2021/017

● 2.Akinade Samson. Dra/2021/030
3. Pedro charles oluwadamilare DRA//2021/133
4 . Adekunle Adesewa oluwatosin DRA/2021/013
5.James Idowu Simon DRA/2021/077
6. Omotowoju Victor Olamide DRA/2021/122. 7.Oladimeji precious oluwadamilola
DRA/2021/106
8. Okunola Michael Ayomide DRA 2021/103
9.Isola Grace Damilola 202390025329HF
10. Oyedele Saheed Opeyemi DRA/2021/128
11.William kayode oluwarotimi Dra/2021/140
12.Adigun islamiyat bolaji DRA/2021/024
13.EZE Martha Nnenna DRA/2021/063
14. EGBRI Aghogho Dra/2021/059
15. Ajibade Blessing Eyitayo Dra/2021/027
16) oyeniran Julia oyinlade DRA 2021/129
17) Oguntola Feranmi Eunice DRA/2021/095
18) Joseph Samuel Tobi DRA/2021/081
19) Olatunji Obanijesu Mark DRA/2021/111
20. Atejioye Oluwasekemi- DRA/2021/045.
21. Eziefule Francis Ugochukwu - DRA/2021/065
22. Okunade Micheal Oluwaseun - DRA/2021/102
23.Ojo Oluwatosin Grace DRA/2021/097
24. Ibikunle Temiloluwa DRA/2021/072
25.Adigun islamiyat bolaji DRA/2021/024
26.Taiei Racgeal Oyindamla 202211659165HAU
Analysis of the book
● Plot summary (3 pages)
○ Adigun islamiyat bolaji
○ Oguntola Feranmi Eunice
○ James Idowu Simon
○ Joseph Samuel Tobi
○ Ojo Oluwatosin Grace

● Characters (4 pages)
○ Atejioye Oluwasekemi
○ Okunade Micheal Oluwaseun
○ Ibikunle Temiloluwa
○ Olatunji Obanijesu Mark
○ oyeniran Julia oyinlade
○ Taiei Racgeal Oyindamla
 ● Setting and language (3 pages)
○ EZE Martha Nnenna
○ Oyedele Saheed Opeyemi
○ Eziefule Francis Ugochukwu
○ Ajibade Blessing Eyitayo
○ Williams kayode oluarotimi
● Themes of the play (4 pages)
○ Akinade Samson
○ Oladimeji precious oluwadamilola
○ Omotowoju Victor Olamide
○ Adekunle Adesewa oluwatosin
○ Okunola Michael Ayomide
● IF The masses use their votes as their tool for freedom. IF that fails the masses
suffer (meaning of this in relation to our society today) (3 pages)
○ EGBRI Aghogho
○ Adeomi Daniel
○ Oyedele Saheed Opeyemi
○ Isola Grace Damilola
○ Pedro charles oluwadamilare

THE PLOT OF OLA ROTIMI'S IF... A TRAGEDY OF THE RULED

To put it plainly, plot is the sequence of interconnected events within the story of a play or any
narrative literary work. This involves more than a straightforward account of what happened in
the play, as it tends to reveal the cause-and-effect relationships between all the events and
happenings that occur in the play. The plot of this play, however, is a linear plot that explains the
happenings in a chronological order i.e. in a way that one action precedes the other and gives
life to the one after it.

THE PLOT STRUCTURE

The play is a satirical political tragedy that delves into the lifestyle and way of living of the
tenants in a multi-tenanted building in the trenches of Diobu, Port-Harcourt. It resumes with a
not so brief argument by Betty, Mama Rosa and Mama Ukot. The latter two had seen the
Landlord come out of Betty’s room after their usual meeting to exchange pleasure for rent. In
the midst of the argument, Papa, the most respected and eldest man in the building comes out
and his presence ushers in a more serene atmosphere. Shortly after this, some of the letters
come to meet Papa, lamenting about how they have just received a letter from the Landlord,
informing them about a 50% increase in their rent from 20 naira to 30 naira. Intentionally, the
landlord excluded some tenants like Papa and his wife, Doctor Hamidu Gidado alias Ernesto
Che Guevara, a new tenant from Gongola state, who happens to be serving the nation in the
National Youth Service Corp Scheme, and Betty, his known mistress. However, Dr Hamidu's
rent is paid by his employers, who had wanted him to stay in an expensive area. Although he
insisted on staying here since his father and Papa were friends. Amidst this, he has no idea how
much they pay to the Landlord. Seeing this letter, they all opposed vehemently, claiming that the
Landlord has no basis to do so. Also, they figure out that he had done this because they chose
not to support him in the upcoming election where he is vying for a post under the political party,
Patriotic People's Party. Hearing the complaints of everyone, Papa decides to call everyone
together and address the issue. While every other person was in support of opposing the
increment, Betty tried to remain neutral, not wanting to seem like she was taking sides. Amidst
their discussion, Dr Hamidu, who clearly realises that this is political, points out some key things
to note from this. He says, and I quote: "That 'IF' the masses, the oppressed masses - again for
a change will use their votes as tools for their own freedom 'IF' that fails, then mass-struggle
becomes imperative". Furthermore, he states that; "The day our solidarity dissolves is the day
our humanity ends, and our worthlessness begins.” Hearing this and the opinions of other
tenants opposing the rent, Papa resolved to send a letter to the Landlord, telling him to
reconsider his decision, regarding increment. One of the tenants named Akpan, alias Ten
Trouble One God, spends all his money buying books and cares so little about the welfare of his
wife and child, Ukot. Just like his alias, Ten Trouble One God, his marriage is facing some
troubles and on the verge of ending. On the other hand, there exists their neighbour, Chinwe
Ejindu, a first class mathematics graduate. She lives with her 8 year old nephew, Onyema
Ejindu, a brilliant boy who comes to inform her about the inability of one of his friends named,
Kalada, to pay for his fees even after getting a scholarship. Although Onyema had figured out a
way to get the money for his friend illegally, Sister Chinwe cautions him to return it, promising to
give him the 10 naira his friend needs. Also, he has just topped the list in the National common
entrance examination, and is handed 5 naira by Papa's friend, Dr. Dokubo, who is also the one
taking care of Mama. Mama happens to be suffering from a very serious illness which later is
revealed to be mammary cancer. Onyema also shares this as he also suffers from a terminal
disease known as Asthma. Dr Hamidu hands Sister Chinwe some drugs for him to use. Not to
cure the disease completely, but to treat it to the point where it hopefully gets healed
completely. However, he instructs her to make sure he isn’t exposed to cold weather for a long
time as this will cause his illness to be worse.

Due to Mama’s illness, they plan to fly her to Lagos for proper medical attention. Before her trip,
the whole house including Papa, deems it fit to mark her birthday, which also is her and Papa’s
40th wedding anniversary and her 35th year anniversary as a teacher. While the story doesn’t
exactly reveal if they have children or not, it is glaring that everyone in the compound has taken
up that role. The party was a great one, with the tenants offering gifts in kind and in words. Most
notable of these gifts was Onyema’s performance with his friends, who happen to be the
children in the neighbourhood who Papa does home lessons for. In the midst of the celebration,
the Landlord arrives, offering his own gifts to the tenants, which were clearly bribes to sway
them to vote for him in the upcoming elections. His presence is met by mixed emotions from
everyone present, most notably, Garuba, a deaf and retired boxer. Since he is unable to blurt
out his anger, he resorts to show them by action and ends up harassing the Landlord, who
leaves angrily, promising to be back with what begins the tragedy in the play. With the party now
over, it is time for Mama to leave for the airport.
While everyone joins Papa to export Mama to the airport, Sister Chinwe puts Onyema under
Betty’s care, leaving the two with Garuba in the building. To herald the dawn of the chaos, the
landlord hired thugs and policemen to seize Garuba for how badly the latter had disgraced him.
At the time when they arrive at the building, they meet Onyeama, who now decides to sweep
the compound. He tries to cover up for Garuba, claiming that the person they have arrested is
Garuba’s mute twin brother. To confirm this, they call the Landlord, who immediately recognizes
the man who had just shown him such disrespect. In the process of taking Garuba away, Better
tries to beg the Landlord, but he forgets about the “good” times they have had, insisting that she
gets out of the way. Also, the young Onyeama tries to stop them too, but he is yanked away and
hits a boulder, unable to get up. With Betty following Garuba to the station, there was no one to
look after Onyeama, who now is exposed to the harsh cold of the night, battling his Asthma,
without the drugs handed to Betty by Sister Chinwe.

Subsequently, the Landlord’s party ended up winning the election. This had caused them to
cancel all flights for two days, since the well wishers of the party wanted had to journey back
and from their various destinations. This left Papa and the others with no other option but to
send Mama to Lagos by road. Later that night, Onyema’s lifeless body was found and this had
made everyone to be distraught. Shockingly, Mama’s delayed journey cost her life and Papa is
left puzzled as to what is left for him to live on for. These deaths, coupled with the victory of the
Landlord in the election, even without their votes, led everyone to dwell in the fact that they have
been utterly defeated and are now hopeless. Due to the fact that the only hope they had, in the
form of the young Onyema, is now gone in the cold hands of oppression.