Author(s): Innocent E. Agu

Abstract: This paper examines the different narrative structures used by the popular Nigerian literary artist, Wole Soyinka in his novel, The Interpreters. The choice of this topic is prompted by the opinion of many critics that Wole Soyinka is a difficult writer and that this particular novel is difficult to understand on account of its language. Thus the paper usingan eclectic linguistic approach selected some texts for analysis. The result shows that the author uses narrative structures that taskthe linguistic knowledge of the readers. It discovers that Soyinka’s background as a poet and playwright impacts much on the narrative structure of his novel. The paper thus concludes that the three literary genres: narrative fiction, drama and poetry can find expressions in one another within the hands of a skillful writer. It thus recommends that readers and critics alike should not rush into passing judgments on writers without exhausting the linguistic backgrounds that gave rise to such literary creations.

Keywords: Linguistics, Examination, Narrative, Structures.