Protest, Resistance and Activism in the drama of Osonye Tess

Every work of art is the product of an artist living in a particular place and time. Social forces inescapably shape the work of art. The Nigerian environment forms the ambience of Onwueme‟s development. Her drama, therefore, is shaped by the appalling conditions of deprivation, mismanagement, corruption and greed that reign in Nigeria. Nowhere in the world have forces of oppression been known to willingly set the oppressed free at any point in history. Combining the sociological and functionalist approach to literary analysis, this paper examines Then She Said it and identifies revolutionary impulses in the play. The analysis concludes that, rightly, Onwueme advocates adequate conscientization and sensitization of the people since peoples ‟ protest, revolt and uprising seems to be the only means of effecting change and establishing a society where justice, fair play and equitable sharing of the commonwealth will prevail