Key Themes of the Novel Caucasian Ovtcharka by Kasham Keltuma Reviewed by KASU 300Level students and other Books

KADUNA STATE UNIVERSITY, KADUNA
FACULTY OF ARTS

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND DRAMA



COURSE CODE: LIT 316

COURSE TITLE: SPECIAL AUTHOR



COMPILED BY:



GROUP FIVE (5)



WHAT ARE THE KEY THEMES IN FANTAH, CAUCASIAN OVTCHARKA AND THE OTHER INSIDER? ENUMERATE AND EXPLAIN ANY TWO







SUBMITTED TO: PROF. A.K BABAJO



NOVEMBER, 2025




1 Maryam Adamu 2 Joshua Divine Damilo 3 Muniratu Abdulhamid 4 Limaro Yakubu Bako 5 Udie Judith Maureen 6 Elias Kolawole Olatunji 7 Raji Sakiru 8 Hameedah Taofeeq Mustapha
9 Benedicta Dauda 10 Sarah Hassan 11 Hussaina Yahuza 12 Aisha Boddo Farooq 13 Joshua Divine Damilo 14 Emmanuel Wisdom Audu 15 Fatima Abubakar Modibbo 16 Sani Abdullahi

17 Aliyu Ibrahim Abdulhamid
18 Khadija Abdullahi Shehu 19 Amina Rilwan Musa 20 Aisha Sanusi 21 Abubakar Nabila Sadiq 22 Hussaini Hussaini 23 Fadila Yahaya






INTRODUCTION
Literature reflects human experience, revealing the complexities of love, pain, identity, and the constant struggle for freedom and selfexpression. This paper examines the key themes in Fantah, Caucasian Ovtcharka, and The Other Insider, exploring how each text mirrors societal challenges and personal conflicts. Through these stories, the writers capture the lived realities of women and individuals caught between societal expectations and personal desires. Each narrative highlights different aspects of oppression, love, betrayal, and resilience, offering readers insight into the emotional and cultural dimensions of contemporary Nigerian life.





CAUCASIAN OVTCHARKA BY

KASHAM KELTUMA
The novel Caucasian Ovtcharka follows an unnamed woman forced into marriage with a crippled man while in love with another, Matthias. Her life becomes a cycle of betrayal, pain, and silence under patriarchy. The repeated deaths of her dogs symbolize the loss of love and loyalty. Betrayed by her parents and husband, she faces


emotional and spiritual collapse. In the end, she drinks poison, leaving her fate uncertain, a tragic reflection of women’s suffering and voicelessness in society.



KEY THEMES
1. Forced Marriage and the Violation of Consent (Lack of Agency) : The central conflict revolves around the protagonist’s forced marriage to a wealthy, physically disabled man (described as having a “bad leg” or “crippled”).

2. Betrayal and Emotional Isolation Betrayal: is a dominant emotional thread, experienced by the protagonist across multiple relationships.

3. The Commoditization of Women (Social and Familial Expectation): The novel critiques how economic considerations and lineage preservation dominate women’s choices.

4. The Struggle for Agency, Resistance, and Self-Preservation: The novel frames the protagonist’s journey as a struggle for bodily autonomy and self-determination. rebellion against societal expectations and her oppressive situation.
5. Love and Ambiguity (Weaponized Affection): The story examines the complex dynamics of love when intertwined with power imbalances and systemic oppression.

The novel also uses symbolism to reinforce these themes; for instance, the Caucasian Ovtcharka dogs are metaphors for the oppressive patriarchal system itself, outwardly imposing but inwardly flawed, protecting male privilege and confining the woman. Similarly, the husband’s physical disability symbolizes the moral and spiritual paralysis of patriarchy.

Two Central Themes in Caucasian Ovtcharka
The novel is analysed through the lens of radical feminism, which views patriarchy as the fundamental root of all oppression. The protagonist’s experiences illustrate how social institutions, such as marriage, function as mechanisms of male control.

Theme 1: Forced Marriage and the Denial of Female Agency (Lack of Consent)
This theme addresses the protagonist’s lack of control over her own life and body, which is brutally denied when she is coerced into an unwanted marriage for the sake of her family’s financial and social gain.

The protagonist, an unnamed young Nigerian woman, is introduced as a “white bone,” a presence associated with good fortune. This status turns her into a commodity for her mother, who would take her to families that “lobbied the most” (meaning the highest bidder). This early treatment sets the stage for her later commoditization in marriage. The

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father, who embodies traditional patriarchal authority, arranges her marriage to a wealthy, physically disabled man (described as having a “bad leg” or “crippled person” who limps).

The father’s rationale was self-serving, as he believed this was the only way to avoid calamity and secure wealth and social status. The narrator recounts this pressure: “My father has always boasted that his children would marry from rich homes… as the only way to avoid impending calamity in my father-in-law’s family”.

Despite being deeply in love with Matthias, who went to her father to ask for her hand, the father repeatedly rejected him because he had already “agreed with the son of that rich man”. The protagonist struggled against her father’s wishes: “… I tried hard to hold on to him and my father tried harder to push me into marrying the man with the bad leg”.

The protagonist’s journey ultimately becomes one of self-determination and radical defiance. The novel aligns with radical feminist ideology by showing that true liberation requires challenging societal expectations.

Her final act of defiance is physical and symbolic: “As soon as my husband left home the following morning, I packed my stuff into my brand new car and left for good. It was long overdue”. The act of fleeing is described as a “symbolic rebellion against societal expectations” that confine women.

She also confronts her father directly over his manipulative rituals. When the father instructs the husband to sleep with the maid (a ritual intended to redeem the husband and restore the father’s “powers”), the narrator challenges this authority: “What! I exclaim, turning to my father. ‘What’s the meaning of this?’”. This demonstrates her refusal to submit to patriarchal manipulation, even from her own family.



Theme 2: Systemic Betrayal and Emotional Isolation
The protagonist’s suffering is compounded by a profound sense of betrayal that extends beyond her husband to include her immediate family and her first love. This theme underscores the systemic limitations imposed on female emotional freedom within a patriarchal society. Betrayal by Family (Mother and Father) The most damaging betrayal comes from those who should have protected her.

The Mother’s Complicity:
The protagonist is shocked to realize her mother provides no support, consistently siding with the father and his “idiosyncrasies”. The narrator expresses her disappointment: “Second in rank was my mother. I thought she had my back, I thought wrong, the only person’s back she’s got was her husband’s, that’s the only language she speaks, in her eyes, my father could never be wrong, marriage had impaired her thinking, what more could I do? What more could I expect of her? Nothing”. When discussing the ritual where the husband was forced to sleep with the maid, her mother’s response reveals her deep immersion in patriarchal norms: “I know how uncomfortable it will have been… but don’t you want to be cleansed? don’t you want to get things back to their natural state… he always needs to be pure and holy to keep his energy at his peak”.

The Father’s Manipulation:
The father’s actions were perceived by the protagonist not as a failure of affection but as a “tradition, a way of life”. He weaponizes his affection to maintain control, confessing that the ritual was necessary because “it will give me back my powers”. This clearly shows the father’s “selfish interest”.

Betrayal in Love (Matthias) Her former lover, Matthias, also contributes to her feeling of betrayal and the “illusion in love”. Matthias claimed he left to study in Israel, but was actually an undercover spy/detective on a secret mission. When she called the university, she learned “no student like that exists or even ever existed,” leaving her heartbroken for six years.

When Matthias returns and finds her pregnant by her husband, he displays a confident and entitled attitude. When she asks if he had cheated in the six years they were apart, he flinches, stating, “Six years is a long time… Anything could have happened”. He claims he would marry her despite the pregnancy, but his overall deception reinforces the theme that “love fades under pressure” and can be undermined by secrets.

The Symbol of Valentine.
The theme of betrayal and oppression is crystalized through the fate of her dog, Valentine, a deformed Caucasian Ovtcharka. The dog is a central symbol and metaphor for the oppressive patriarchal system. The dog’s deformity, drooling, and pathetic movements “mirror the narrator’s sense of being trapped in a dysfunctional relationship”.

The dog’s murder by the husband, who killed “out of anger” after a confrontation with the narrator, is an act of marital violence that reinforces the husband’s cruelty. The dog, which symbolizes the marriage as “outwardly impressive but inwardly flawed and burdensome,” serves as a warning against the “breach of male control”.

The novel concludes with the protagonist reflecting on these betrayals shortly before she poisons herself, emphasizing the extreme emotional toll of her isolation and the oppressive nature of her environment.

FANTAH by Hadiza Bagudu

Fantah is a historical fiction novel by Hadiza Bagudu, consisting of 39 chapters divided into three books. The story, set primarily in 19th-century Northern Nigeria, explores Fulani culture amidst struggle for political power. The protagonist, Fantah, is a young Bororo shepherd girl whose only ambition is to fall and ‘be’ in love. She meets and falls in love with Hayah, an exiled Fulani prince and military general.

Hayah, the great-grandson of Uthman the Great, is driven by the ambition to reclaim his birthright as the Sultan of Sokoto. Despite social class differences, Fantah demonstrates unwavering love and intuition, even becoming his concubine and running away from her family for him. Hayah pursues his ambitions by forging a strategic but treacherous alliance with the formidable rebel leader Rabeh. This pact leads to betrayal, resulting in Hayah’s death, after which Fantah is married off to her betrothed cousin.

KEY THEMES
1. Fulani Tradition and Cultural Representation: The novel vividly portrays the richness of Fulani and Bororo traditions.

2. Love, Loyalty, and Sacrifice: Love is a central theme, exemplified by the relationship between Fantah and Hayah.

3. War and Power Struggle: The narrative is driven by the quest for political dominance and territorial expansion, illustrating how these ambitions lead to conflict and instability, particularly among the Fulani themselves.

4. Betrayal: The story frequently explores instances where trust is broken or promises are not kept, leading to lasting emotional scars.

5. Historical Context and Sociopolitical Change: Fantah is anchored in the historical events of 19th-century Northern Nigeria, blending fiction with facts to present a truth seen by all.


Two Central Themes in Fantah
1. Political Ambition, Power Struggle, and Destiny
The core conflict of Fantah is Hayah’s relentless pursuit of political destiny, which drives the narrative and sets the stage for the major betrayals and tragedies of the story. Hayah is established as an important historical figure: an exiled Fulani prince and military general, he is the great-grandson of the Sheck Osman the Great. Hayah was forced to abdicate his throne in Sokoto and leave for exile, feeling “shamed and angry”. This happened because he considered the rules and traditions instituted by past statesmen to be “two rigid and archaic,” and he held strong, often conflicting, opinions against his courtiers.

His solitary purpose upon leaving Sokoto was purely political: “His secret intention was to return Sunday to take what was his Birthright the throne.”

Hayah’s journey through Fombina and his subsequent military alliances are all strategic moves designed to gather the resources and power he lacked to achieve his goal. Hayah is a highly skilled warrior and military leader. He gained the title of General in the Lamdo of Maroua’s army by using his “extensive military training” to successfully introduce “his own tactics and Military stratagem on the battlefield,” ensuring victory against the indigenous Musgum people (Habe). He earned the favour of the Lamdo, who rewarded him with his daughter, Talatu, as a wife.

To further his ultimate ambition of reclaiming the Sokoto throne, Hayah made a dangerous political alliance. He allied himself with the notorious warlord Rabbeh. The pact stipulated that Hayah would train Rabbeh’s soldiers and lead them in battle, and in return, Rabbeh will ensure Hayatu gets his throne back.

The theme of political struggle is intertwined with betrayal. Rabbeh, consumed by his own hunger for power, exploits Hayah’s military skills. Rabbeh ultimately betrays Hayah by failing to uphold his promise to support Hayah’s claim to the Sokoto Caliphate. Hayah’s subsequent realisation of this treachery highlights the destructive nature of ambition built on self-interest, leading Hayah to lament: “It is obvious he is never going to help me at all, Hayah’s voice was shaking as he laments to Fantah. I cannot believe what a fool I have been” (Bagudu 218).

The pursuit of power culminates in Hayah’s death, which is seen as both a consequence of his ambition and an act of betrayal. Hayah is killed by Fadr Allah, Rabbeh’s son, in a short and sharp conflict when Hayah attempts to escape. Hayah, described as being “in his 60s at that time” and old, was defeated by the “young warrior” Fadr Allah. The scene is described vividly “He tried to capture Hayatu but Hayatu drew his sword on him, they fought. He was younger and more dexterous and Hayatu was already wounded. In the end, he drove his sword through Hayatu’s chest.”. The sources suggest that Hayah’s death was necessary because, without it, “he would have destroyed her [Fantah’s] life”.

Theme 2. Love, Loyalty, and Sacrifice
The theme of love, personified by Fantah, provides the emotional counterpoint to Hayah’s political quest, demonstrating that true devotion often involves immense personal sacrifice.

Fantah, a young Bororo girl from a humble pastoral background, enters the story with a singular desire: “to fall in love and ‘be’ in love”. She first meets Hayah while watching her cows, and Hayah, a seasoned warrior in his early 40s, is immediately stunned by her beauty, observing that she had “the most beautiful face he had ever seen”. He found her so beautiful that he momentarily “doubted whether she was human or jinn”.

Fantah’s commitment to this love is so profound that she willingly sacrifices her traditional life, defying her family’s customs which included marriage to her betrothed cousin, Sa’adu. Fantah’s journey is defined by her selflessness. After Hayah is forced to leave her village (Ndokula) without returning for their wedding, Fantah runs away to find him, risking her life by trekking alone through the forest. She explains her decision to Hayah “Stranger, I came here because I want to be with you. I couldn’t bear the thought of living without you. My father tried to marry me off to someone but I ran away.”.

When Hayah is concerned that her father will not bless their union, Fantah demonstrates the depth of her sacrifice by willingly sacrificing her social status as a free person, a choice that goes against tradition. She proposes becoming his concubine, stating: “Then let me be your concubine.”. When Hayah highlights the consequence of losing her freedom, Fantah insists: “I know. But I will rather lose my freedom to you than anybody else.”.

Fantah’s relationship with Hayah is characterized by unwavering loyalty. She demonstrates strength, wisdom, and intuition. Fantah serves as Hayah’s voice of reason, providing warnings about his political maneuvers, particularly his alliance with Rabbeh. She cautioned him that Rabbeh “is a rebel…and may not be of his words”. Her wisdom is validated when Rabbeh eventually betrays Hayah.

Despite her loyalty, Fantah endures deep suffering. The love affair is so intense that it “threatens to destroy them both”. Hayah’s focus on his political ambition means he “cared more about his ambitions to secure a throne” than her well-being. Fantah had to contend with his “constant absence,” the “disgrace brought upon her family,” and the horror inflicted by Hayah’s first wife, Talatu. The reader is left with an emotion of deep sadness because Fantah “suffers for the sake of love and is not rewarded at any point in the story”.

THE OTHER INSIDER By Lizi Ashimole

Lizi Ashimole’s novel, The Other Insider, is a socio-historical work structured into three interconnected parts spanning three generations.

The first part, set in the contemporary era, details the tragic, forbidden love between Agatha (Igbo, Christian) and Umar (Hausa, Muslim). Their union highlights severe ethno-cultural and religious conflict, culminating violently when Agatha’s wartraumatized father shoots both lovers. The core thematic concern of the book is the profound concept of Otherness and the debilitating legacy of the Igbo Osu caste system.

The second and third parts delve historically into Osu identity, tracing its origins through
Ogbonna, who was kidnapped and sacrificed as the first outcast. This narrative tracks Osu descendants across generations, illustrating how the stigma persists despite colonialism, Christian faith, and modernization. The text explores identity, prejudice, and political dynamics that reinforce boundaries, questioning who is considered an “insider” versus an “outsider”. The novel is lauded for its audacious, didactic storytelling, challenging readers to reflect critically on deep-rooted systems of societal exclusion.

Key Themes In The Other Insider

1. The Osu Caste System / Historical Legacy: The Osu caste system is widely identified as the main thematic concern of the book.

2. Otherness / “Insider vs. Outsider”: The theme of Otherness is identified as a central concept in the novel. The title itself, The Other Insider, signals this paradox.

3. Ethno-Cultural and Religious Conflict / Reconstruction: A salient theme is the clash and possible integration of different cultures, ethnicities, and faiths.

4. Love, Passion, and Prejudice: The narrative often focuses on love that must confront deeply rooted prejudices and taboos.

5. Gender, Sensuality, and Femininity: The expert commentary explicitly lists gender, sensuality, and femininity as a preoccupation of the novel.



Two Central Themes in The Other Insider
1. The Osu Caste System and its Historical Legacy
The Osu caste system is unequivocally described as the “main thematic concern of the book” and serves as the “long twine… that ties together several other sub-themes”. The novel provides “richly tutored” instruction on the Osu concept, detailing its origin, the associated rituals, and its “almost unending deleterious effects on the Igbo society”.

Origin of Outcasting: The book delves into the history of the Osu caste system by tracing the story of Ogbonna, the first individual who was “kidnapped” as a young boy to be used as a cleansing sacrifice and branded as Osu. The ceremony involved the priest slashing his ear, leading to him being sent away and labeled an outcast. He was treated “like a plague a curse in the village”. This act of ritualized exclusion gave “birth to a culture of exclusion that survives, in hidden and not-so-hidden ways, into the present day”.

Intergenerational Burden: The Osu identity is tracked through three generations. Ogbonna’s descendant, Adumekwe, seeking acceptance and a place to call home, accepted emerging Christianity, changing his name to Joseph Osuchukwu (translated as “outcast for god”). The stigma continues to affect subsequent generations, including Timothy, who was “treated badly in school… shunned and embulkied”.

The novel explores attempts to fight this prejudice, such as Arasmos, who was sponsored to Cambridge and became an honorable member of the National Assembly, trying to “eradicate the Osuka system”. His death in an accident was superstitiously attributed to the gods punishing him for fighting their cause.

The novel employs a nuanced temporal framework, showing that despite “widespread
Christian religion and civilization in post-colonial times,” the Osu are still considered an “Other”. This is demonstrated in the third part when Timothy is introduced as a prospective husband for Agwawunma. Agwawunma’s mother, Ukwechi, initially supports the union, but upon discovering that Timothy is from a family of Osu, she “has a change of mind”. The mother becomes “very angry” and attempts to start trouble by returning the items given during the bright ceremony, demanding that the husband’s family “come and return their money because she’s not [marrying]”. This scene portrays the “grim reality” that the Osu status continues to impede social acceptance, even in modern Nigerian society.

2. Otherness / “Insider vs. Outsider”
The theme of Otherness is described as “arguably central” to the novel, with the title The Other Insider signaling the paradox of someone who is “inside, yet treated as ‘other’”.
This theme explores how identities are constructed through the dichotomy of ‘us’ versus ‘them’.

Otherness through Caste (The Osu); The Osu caste system itself is the primary vehicle for exploring Otherness. Osu individuals are viewed as outcasts, and the novel personalizes their experience, showing “how they fend for themselves and react to the society which considers them an ‘Other'”. Even characters who achieve success or convert to Christianity remain marginalized, illustrating that being an “insider” in law or fact may still leave one an “outsider” in perception, respect, [or] full acceptance”.

The theme is equally prominent in the novel’s focus on “Ethno-Cultural Conflict & Integration”. The relationship between Agatha (Igbo and Christian) and Umar (Hausa and Muslim) challenges deeply ingrained ethnic and religious boundaries.

Agatha struggles with the implications of her choice, stating: “This dude was all right but belonged to the wrong side of my God (p.14).”. She recognizes the overwhelming nature of their cultural differences: “The differences are overwhelming. Our different cultural background, different faith and even physical appearance. I don’t even know what… what we’re doing together (p.21).”.

To Agatha’s tribe, the Fulanis are the “Other” due to “tribal and religious differences,” exacerbated by the lingering hatred from the Biafra Civil War, for which southerners hold northerners responsible. Agatha’s mother issues a scathing criticism, drawing a crude conclusion about Umar: “It’s not surprising he has you bewitched; it’s their tribal thing… Fulani are famed for their potions, and this Umar must have fed you” (p.51).

The Hierarchy of Outcasts: The layering of “Otherness” reaches a tragic climax when Agatha’s father, a very strict person driven by “lingering hatred he had for the north,” confronts the lovers. In his fury, he asserts a preference for one form of outcast over the “sworn enemy,” shouting that it is better he “dashed her to an ‘OSU’ than for her to marry his sworn enemy”. This preference highlights that while Osu status is severe, the ethnoreligious “Other” can, for some, represent an even greater boundary, culminating in the fatal shooting of Umar by Agatha’s father.

CONCLUSION
Across Fantah, Caucasian Ovtcharka, and The Other Insider, the authors use their characters and stories to question social hierarchies and the moral structures that sustain inequality and emotional suffering. Each narrative reveals a distinct struggle for identity, justice, and self-determination. In Caucasian Ovtcharka, betrayal and patriarchal control expose the dangers of tradition; in Fantah, the protagonist’s emotional and spiritual journey captures the pain of love and transformation; and in The Other Insider, the exploration of exclusion and belonging mirrors wider societal divisions. Together, these texts emphasize endurance, hope, and the human spirit’s capacity to resist and rebuild in the face of adversity. Their thematic richness contributes meaningfully to Nigerian and African literature, preserving stories that speak to resilience, gender, and identity in a complex world.


REFERENCES AND CITATIONS
1. Keltuma, K. (2020). Caucasian Ovtcharka. Abuja: Independently Published
2. Keltuma, K. (2021). Caucasian Ovtcharka. Breakeven Books. Retrieved from https://kashamkeltuma.com
3. Breakeven Books. (2020, August 21). Author Interview: Kasham Keltuma.
Retrieved from https://breakevenbooks.com/author-interview-kasham-keltuma/
4. Sawlani, S. (2019). Fantah. Nairobi: Sisi Afrika Press.
5. Ashimole, L. (2022). The Other Insider. Lagos: Spectrum Books.
6. Adichie, C. N. (2014). We Should All Be Feminists. New York: Anchor Books.
7. Millett, K. (1970). Sexual Politics. New York: Doubleday.
8. Firestone, S. (1970). The Dialectic of Sex: The Case for Feminist Revolution. New York: William Morrow.
9. Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167.
10. hooks, b. (2000). Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.