The metaphorical significance of Frank Ogodo's 'Harvest of Corruption' is seen in the theme of_____________

Step 1: Analyze the question

The question asks about the metaphorical significance of the title Harvest of Corruption, meaning the deeper idea the title suggests beyond its literal words. It asks which theme that idea points to.

Step 2: Explain the concept

A harvest is what you reap after planting. The saying "you reap what you sow" is the idea behind the metaphor. Here:

• Sowing is the corrupt acts of the leaders (embezzlement, abuse of office, exploitation of the masses).
• Harvest is the consequences that eventually come back on them.

So the title is not only about corruption existing. It is about corruption bringing its own punishment.

Step 3: Apply it to the play

In Frank Ogodo Ogbeche's Harvest of Corruption, the corrupt leaders and their collaborators enrich themselves while the society suffers. By the end, the consequences catch up with them. The oppressed rise up, and the corrupt are exposed and made to face the results of what they did.

Step 4: Check the options

• A. Corruption is the main subject of the play, but it is the literal theme, not the metaphorical meaning of "harvest."
• B. Unemployment is a minor social issue in the play, not what the title means.
• C. Retribution fits, because a harvest is the reward or penalty that follows what was sown.
• D. Betrayal of public trust is an important theme, but it describes the sowing, not the harvest.

Answer

The correct option is C. retribution.

Exam tip

When a JAMB literature question asks about the metaphorical or symbolic meaning of a title, don't pick the obvious subject of the book. Ask what the image itself suggests. A "harvest" always points to consequences or reaping what was sown.