Paradoxical metaphors and religiotherapy in Maryam Awaisu’s Burning Bright

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Joy Eyisi Jr.
Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
e-mail: joy.eyisijr@gmail.com (corresponding author)

Emmanuel Omobowale
University of Ibadan, Nigeria
e-mail: ebomobowale@yahoo.com

Joy Eyisi
National Open University, Nigeria
e-mail: eyisijoy@yahoo.com

AGATHOS, Volume 15, Issue 2 (29): 209-220, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.13949028
© www.agathos-international-review.com CC BY NC 2024

Abstract: The portrayal of ailing characters in literature demonstrates that as these characters articulate their experiences of the disease, they employ cognitive mechanisms facilitated by paradoxical metaphors. This paper aims to examine the existence of paradoxical metaphors in the selected illness novel, Maryam Awaisu’s Burning Bright. Furthermore, it investigates how the ailing character in the illness novel, employs these paradoxical metaphors as a form of religiotherapy to support and bolster her mental wellbeing. Jacques Derrida’s Deconstruction and Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic theories are used for the critical analysis of the selected illness novel. Recognising and valuing the expressions of ailing individuals holds the potential of enhancing effective communication within medical situations.

Keywords: paradoxical metaphors, religiotherapy, sickle-cell anaemia, ailing characters in fiction, Maryam Awaisu’s Burning Bright, illness narratives, mental process, medical communication

Introduction

The intricate interplay between literature and medicine has long been recognised as a significant avenue for exploring the multidimensional aspects of human health experiences. Within this context, the portrayal of ailing characters stands as a crucial intersection where the illness novels converge with the richness of literary expression. Hence, the emergence of religiotherapy signifies a holistic approach to well-being, incorporating spiritual or religious aspects into the therapeutic process to foster physical, emotional and psychological healing. The composite term, religiotherapy is formed by combining “religio” and “therapy.” “Religio” originates from the Latin word, “religiỏ,” which signifies a sense of reverence for God and connection to the divine, Friedrich Max Muller (1889). “Therapy,” on the other hand, stems from the Greek word, “therapeia,” denoting treatment or care, Douglas Harper (2010). Chiedu Eseadi et al. (2015, 67) notes that “Religiotherapy integrates patient’s faith and psychology to assist the genuinely motivated patient(s), willing and ready to resolve their worries.” Thus, it encompasses a systematic psychosocial and culturally attuned method that instigates a gradual shift in the patient’s perception of the world, leading to a fundamental transformation in their overall existence. Paradoxical metaphors, a staple of literary expression, further enrich the synergy amongst literature, medicine and religiotherapy, by unveiling deeper layers of meaning in both medical and spiritual narratives. A paradoxical metaphor is a metaphor that is contradictory in itself, “hence, having a paradoxical attribute.” (Joy Eyisi Jr. 2023, 63; Joy Eyisi Jr., & Emmauel Omobowale, 2021, 252). As literature and medicine converge, religiotherapy harnesses the power of storytelling and symbolism to address the intricacies of health and spiritual harmony, while paradoxical metaphors provide a distinct lens through which the complexities of human experience are explored, bridging the realms of physical and spiritual healing.

 Karen Kersting (2003, 2) in her exploration of the beliefs of psychologists regarding the integration of spirituality into therapeutic settings notes that, in Christian psychologist William Hathaway’s position, “being able to help a person connect with the variable of spirituality in their lives can be a beneficial and important therapeutic accommodation”. Consequently, the integration of spirituality in therapeutic settings could introduce novel avenues for treatment considerations. Carrie Doehring, another psychologist in Kersting’s exploration, points out that the willingness and sensitivity of the therapist to interact with the patient in a religious way aids in building the trust the patient has for the therapist, resulting in a new aspect of therapeutic human experience. She also observes that certain people comprehend spiritually guided therapy as encountering a third presence (God presence or spiritual presence) in the consulting room. Within that presence, a concealed mystery unfolds for the patient, which is akin to an enlightening realisation that holds substantial therapeutic utility. However, Doehring asserts that despite the benefits of religiously guided treatments, therapists need to be properly trained towards guiding their patients in healthy views of religion without letting religious ideas hinder any aspect of their treatment and improvement. Robert Gordon, Lowell Hoffman and Alan Tjeltveit (2010) and Shaista Meer and Ghazala Mir (2014) attest to this. Doehring also insists that anecdotal treatment strategies should be utilised rather than evidence-based strategies. In discussing the field in its budding stage, Edward Shafranske, another psychologist in Kirsting’s exploration, notes that, “until we have good, solid empirical evidence and studies about how to integrate religion into practice, it may be premature to encourage widespread use” (Kersting 2003, 3). Thus, psychologists should formulate comprehensive research endeavours and theoretical frameworks to appreciate religiotherapy in practical situations.

 Eseadi et al. (2015) in discussing the utilisation of religiotherapy, identifies three perspectives that aid the use of religiotherapy: the psychoanalytic therapists’ perspective, the existentialist-humanistic therapists’ perspective and the cognitive-behavioural therapists’ perspective. The psychoanalytic therapists’ perspective proposes that, to treat a patient with a religious orientation effectively, there should be some sort of reflections of religion and belief in God in the therapeutic process. The existentialist-humanistic therapists’ perspective suggests that the discovery of meaning holds substantial significance for one’s personality and wellbeing. Hence, as meaning is found in the ailing situation, the patient could be positively transformed. The cognitive-behavioural therapists’ (CBT) perspective demonstrates the use of religious imagery, self-examination and thought monitoring to effectively treat patients. Notably, Rebecca Propst (1996) points out that CBT deals with the type of thinking the patient expresses (catastrophising, mind-reading, personalising or over generalising) and not the content of the thought. However, this research focuses on the content of thought.

 Critical studies on the selected text for this research, Maryam Awaisu’s Burning Bright, comprise reviews that do not delve into the metaphors in the novel, much less explore the paradoxical metaphors the ailing character constructs in relation to the ailing experience. Abubakar Evuti (2016, 1) notes that Awaisu’s writing style, though “clean and to the point” could be better if she incorporates the effect of all other special senses in addition to the sense of sight which she utilised extensively. Barnes & Noble (n.d) adds that the story is set within the intricacies of the Nigerian society, embodying pain, relief, love, conflicts and the development of faith.

 Consequently, at its core, this research centres on the content of thought, which is laden with literary expressions, especially paradoxical metaphors. This paper is patient centred as it delves into the representation of the ailing character grappling with the ailment, sickle cell disease. The paper delves into the ailing character’s articulation of the disease experience through the utilisation of cognitive mechanisms facilitated by literary tropes. Specifically, it focuses on the presence of paradoxical metaphors as a distinct literary device employed by ailing characters to verbalise the experience of the ailing situation. To explore this dynamic, the study centres on the selected illness novel, Maryam Awaisu’s Burning Bright, delving into the intricate interplay between literary expression and mental well-being. Grounding its critical analysis, the paper draws from Jacques Derrida's Deconstruction and Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic theories, offering unique perspectives for dissecting the intricate layers of narrative representation, both to identify and analyse the impact of the paradoxical metaphors respectively. Furthermore, this exploration emphasises the significance of recognising and valuing the expressions of ailing characters in achieving effective communication within medical contexts. Engaging with the intersections of literature, medicine, and religion, this paper aims to shed light on the profound implications of the literary depiction of ailing characters and its potential impact in understanding the human experience of illness.

Synopsis of the novel

The novel, Burning Bright encapsulates the life of Nadia and her struggles with sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD is a “genetically determined disease,” Emechebe, GO, Nnamdi Benson Onyire, Orji ML and Kingsley Achigbu (2017, 2). “An autosomal recessive disorder caused by the inheritance of abnormal sickle haemoglobin (Hb) S or C from both parents,” Agatha Nkiruka David et al (2018, 2). It follows that it is inherited, and it affects red blood cells causing severe painful episodes and other symptoms that are episodic. It could be triggered by cold, infection, dehydration or low oxygen levels. The symptoms could be: acute chest syndrome, episodes of pain, anaemia and infections. Asides the stem-cell transplant which factors in availability of appropriate donors and procedural side effects, “SCD cannot be cured, so lifelong treatment and monitoring are needed. There are a number of different treatments which help to prevent sickling episodes or prevent related problems such as infection” (Colin Tidy 2020, 4).

 Nadia is the second and only child with the gene, out of the five children of her mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Abubakar Habeeb. Her mother is shocked when the doctors diagnose Nadia as having sickle cells. Almost throughout the novel, she keeps fighting thoughts of blaming her husband for the situation. It is noted that her husband at the time of their marriage deceived her into believing that his genotype is AA, because he did not want to lose her. He had hoped that God will take care of their children no matter what type of genotype they have.

Identified paradoxical metaphors in Maryam Awaisu’s Burning Bright

In Burning Bright, as Nadia tries to understand the reason behind her painful experiences, she believes in the same way, Samira does in S is for Survivor (2014), that God put the disease in her for a purpose. If not, He should have put it in the body of her other siblings. Thus, the narrator notes,

In Islam, any sort of ailment – even if it were the prick of a thorn – is accompanied by the obliteration of sins. So, except for the days where she had been completely free from any form of ailment or pain, her sins were continuously erased during the rest of her days of suffering. This was the sole thought that she usually held on to during dark and painful moments when she was tempted to lose her faith. How merciful is God! Her pain, although highly unwelcome, was not in vain. Until such a day as she would be able to walk again without pain, her sins would be erased every single day. She was not perfect, and so it was great knowing that the Lord always compensated her in such a reassuring way. (Awaisu 2014, 10)

From the indented excerpt, “any sort of ailment…,” (Ibid.), connotes that the creator puts ailments in the body of humans for the purpose of cleansing the sins of humans. One begins to wonder, if the creator of Hyundai motors intentionally installed an item in the vehicles that would accelerate wear and tear, so that wherever the vehicles are, they could be purified of the flaws they bring to their drivers when they fail to start or when they dissatisfy the driver. Note, humans are not cars. But in this sphere, there is a creator and a creation. It is rare to find a creator that derives joy in seeing to the impairment of his or her creation. The creator produces a wholesome creation and works towards fixing any impairment in the existing creation, because he or she is aware that the impairment may have a negative impact on the creation's durability, life expectancy, or life cycle.

 The excerpt, “So, except for the days where she had been completely free from any form of ailment or pain, her sins were continuously erased…” (Awaisu 2014, 10) within the indented selection metaphorically suggests that the presence of the ailment makes her pure, clean, probably, a saint or an angel, as white as snow (in the religious parlance). Paradoxically, it implies that on the days she is free from any form of pain or ailment, she is dirty, impure, probably a demon, as black as charcoal or as red as a scarlet (in the religious parlance). And how about all those who seemingly do not experience any ailment, like her siblings, father and mother, her best friend, Ayman, now turned sister? It means they are all filled with sin and dirt, perhaps they are disgusting, freakily smelling and no one should want to be around them.

 From the same excerpt the narrator states that, “Until such a day as she would be able to walk again without pain, her sins would be erased every single day. She was not perfect, and so it was great knowing that the Lord always compensated her in such a reassuring way” (Ibid.). Paradoxically, one begins to wonder why Nadia still expects to be free or walk without pain, since being free from pain is akin to impurity. Why does she fight? Why does she fight, (not just fighting to live) specifically to win over sickle cell anaemia, the disease she believes her creator uses to keep her sin free? Arguably, the evocation of the essence of a sin-free life in the novel, creates an unstable opposition between the sin-free life and the sinful life, because the novel undermines its own awareness that a sinful life appears to be preferred (so the sinful can be continuously cleaned by diseases). So, if there is no ailment, what then will cleanse a sinful soul? Disease, in this novel, is metaphorically described as a sanitiser, a cleanser, that blots away any form of sin from a sinful life.

 After Nadia’s hip replacement surgery and her recovery from septicaemia, she begins to wonder why she lost consciousness for about four days:

Funny how she had been depressed about the notion of using crutches before. Now she could not wait to be able to do that again. Maybe if she had not been ungrateful, none of these would have happened to her. Maybe it all happened to teach her a lesson (Awaisu 2014, 88).

This is another paradoxical metaphor of punishment. She believes she committed a sin of ingratitude, and she is being taught a lesson. The narrator of the novel states that, “Maybe if she had not been ungrateful, none of these would have happened to her” (Awaisu 2014, 88). The implied metaphor here is that she is ungrateful, and her ungratefulness yielded the ailment she suffers from. Paradoxically, when a sperm fertilises an egg, how will the resulting zygote know what gratefulness is to become grateful, so that it can reject the unwanted genetic materials it has received? Better still, how will the sperm know to be grateful so that it will either transmit only healthy genetic materials, or how will the egg know to be grateful so that it can selectively receive only healthy genetic materials? How would she have been ungrateful in her mother’s womb when her being was in the process of formation? How grateful enough could she have been to stop the S genotype of her parents from coming together to create her own genotype? Or how grateful enough could she have been to hinder one of the S and attract an A which would make her free form the disease? Furthermore, a child’s mind is tabula rasa, at birth. How would she have known what gratefulness means for her to, at the time, become grateful so that she would outgrow all the unhealthy genetic materials from her parents, so that “none of these would have happened to her”? (Ibid.). Nadia’s mentality thus, presents a situation that appears self-contradictory and counterintuitive, resulting in the paradoxical metaphors she constructs in relation to her ailing experience.

Classification of identified paradoxical metaphors in Maryam Awaisu’s Burning Bright

The classification of the identified paradoxical metaphor is based on the researcher’s interpretation of the selected paradoxical metaphors. The interpretation is dependent on the statements’ impact on the speaker, and metaphorical implication. Notably, some of the statements could overlap, representing multiple classes of paradoxical metaphors.

Paradoxical metaphors of identity:

• “So, except for the days when she had been completely free from any form of ailment or pain, her sins were continuously erased” (Awaisu 2014, 10). This implies that she is sinless.

Paradoxical metaphors of pain:

• “So, except for the days when she had been completely free from any form of ailment or pain, her sins were continuously erased” (Ibid.).

• “Until such a day as she would be able to walk again, without pain, her sins would be erased every single day. She was not perfect, and so it was a great knowing that the Lord always compensated her in such a reassuring way” (Ibid.).

Paradoxical metaphors of survival:

• “... any sort of ailment … is accompanied by the obliteration of sins” (Ibid.).

• “Maybe if she had not been ungrateful, none of these would have happened to her” (Ibid, 88).

Psychological effects of paradoxical metaphors on the ailing character in Maryam Awaisu’s Burning Bright

In Burning Bright, statements that weigh Nadia down are facts from her doctors as she seemed optimistic giving no room to negative mental processes all through the novel. An illustration is when her doctor in New York, where she worked and studied for four years, tells her, “I am afraid you have non-traumatic, avascular necrosis” (Awaisu 2014, xii). This disease is a complication caused by the sickle cell anaemia she is born with. The narrator notes that,

Nadia’s heart skipped a couple of beats whenever those words replayed in her mind. The scene of her doctors in New York telling her that, kept playing in her head, every day (Awaisu 2014, xii).

From the above excerpt, the words from the doctors remain in Nadia’s subconscious, expressing themselves via dreams. Thus, when her parents insist that she comes back to Nigeria where her family will be with her during the surgery, she gets tormented by dreams – seeing herself rather in the surgical room for amputation and not hip replacement. Notable is the fact that the torment from dreams is not caused by paradoxical metaphors but by the constant replay of “the scene of her doctors in New York telling her” (Awaisu 2014, xii) about the results of her tests. This wearies her but she keeps fighting to stay positive.

 In her struggle for survival, she draws strength from the paradoxical religious metaphors discussed in the previous section. While she feels she is being taught a lesson because of her ungratefulness, her optimistic mind-set prevents her from sinking deep into depression. She pushes negative mental processes away, “she would think about that later and scold herself later. Now, it was time to rejoice and tell her mother she could go home and rest” (Awaisu 2014, 88). Rather than dwelling on derailing mental processes, she moves on from one activity in finding purpose, to another: helping sacrificially in a Sickle Cell Foundation close to her home and getting a well-paying job in Lagos.

How Nadia in Maryam Awaisu’s Burning Bright struggled to survive in an existential context

Positive mind-set and gratitude

Nadia’s story reflects one who has sworn to never allow any room for mental disorientation in her life. She stays positive all through the novel, a trait she imbibes from her mother (Awaisu 2014, 62). It seems as if there are no “ifs” in Nadia’s mother’s language. It is most of the time, “when,” not “if.” “If,” is a conditional statement, there is a probability that the inference might or might not happen. With “when,” there is no such probability. The speaker is certain that whatever is said will happen though he or she is unsure of the exact time. 

 “If? If she moves? I will send for you when she moves and opens her eyes. You should definitely get out of here with all of your negativity” (Ibid, 74). This is Nadia’s mother’s response to one of the doctors who examines Nadia in her unconscious state. At the time, Nadia loses consciousness in the hospital after her surgery due to “extreme pain from pneumonia coupled with low blood pressure from septicaemia (Ibid, 60). Nadia’s mother sees Nadia’s finger move and immediately sends for the doctor who after examining Nadia says, “please calm down madam, you can always send for me if she moves again” (Ibid, 74). But Nadia’s mother does not agree with the word, “if”. She insists on, “when”.

 Nadia’s resolve, to stay positive and maintain a positive mental process, is so intense and contagious that it rubs off on her elder sister, Hafsah. When the doctors declare Nadia unconscious, her father, mother and sister become distraught, But Hafsah cautions herself with the statement, “No, I’m going to think positive thoughts only. – that is exactly what Nadia would do, she decided” (Ibid, 51). Exactly what Nadia will do, think only positive thoughts. Buttressing this, the narrator notes,

if there was one thing Nadia prided herself on, it was her ability to take things in stride and be hopeful. She might have a good cry before that, but she usually accepted reality and was able to move on with optimism (Awaisu 2014, 6).

Nadia’s belief in her God becomes impregnable as she struggles with the impact of sickle cell anaemia on her life. She believes that the ailment she suffers from has spiritually strengthened her relationship with her God. Since the age of seven,

She had made a resolve since then to make God the priority in everything she did, because He alone could save her from the anguish of sickle cell anaemia. She had tried drugs and injections, but they provided temporary relief only. The hospital stays still continued, and she was tired of asking, why me? She started feeling ungrateful for asking that. She needed a more powerful sense of hope, and so she had turned to God (Awaisu 2014, 7).

The narrator asserts that since Nadia’s turning to God, Nadia has been experiencing changes in her life. The painful experiences become more bearable. She develops a new mind-set that God has a reason for letting her pass through such situation and the reason is part of His master plan for her. She stops sulking as much, figuring out that she has seen enough pain in life, and it will be stupid of her to indulge in depressing thoughts that would yield more pain.

 Statements like, “she did not let it get to her” (Awaisu 2014, 8) and “Nadia had refused to be broken” (Ibid.), remain consistent throughout the novel, Burning Bright, emphasising Nadia’s resilience to remaining positive in her thoughts for survival. Nadia also believes that though she might use the crutches for a while, she is rather blessed and grateful to her God for keeping her strong, cleansing her from her sins and letting her find purpose in helping others (Ibid, 104).

NGO

Nadia joins an NGO, a Sickle Cell Foundation in Kaduna, that caters for patients living with sickle cell anaemia (Ibid, 149). Thus, she turns her pain to a passion (Ibid, 153). She takes up the responsibility of going to media houses requesting for a slot to advertise the NGO and all they do to benefit members of their community in Kaduna. She also reaches out to pharmaceutical companies so that they can, in a philanthropic manner offer medications to the patients suffering from sickle cell anaemia (Ibid,164). In doing this, she finds meaning in suffering, believing that her God keeps her alive for this purpose, to be able to help sickle cell patients start over their lives with hope.

Love

Love and encouragement from family and friends inspire Nadia to stay strong and live healthy. For instance, she feels like quitting at a point in her secondary education in Nigeria, because it seems pointless to strive for excellence when she constantly finds herself in the hospital, losing out on classwork. Regardless of the fact that most of her school-friends visit and check on her, Ayman, her closest friend now turned sister, is the only one who encourages her not to give up, stating that she could not imagine what Nadia is going through but, she knows that, “giving up the fight was the same as letting sickle cell win” (Awaisu 2014, 35). Her friends and family proactively and passionately care for and encourage her not to give up.

Findings and conclusion

In Maryam Awaisu’s Burning Bright, despite the fact that the ailing character, Nadia, weaves some paradoxical metaphors of identity, pain and survival, she channels the paradoxical metaphors to fortify her morale.

 Distinctively, Nadia, grounded in her religious beliefs, associates the pain from the disease she experiences, with the purification of sin, believing that suffering cleanses her of wrongdoing. She implies that being healthy prevents this spiritual cleansing, suggesting a paradox: one’s sins are not forgiven in times of well-being. This concept is a striking paradoxical metaphor.

 Although the paradoxical metaphors appear derailing, she twists them to soothe her mental state and makes up her mind to stay grateful, hopeful, positive, and mentally healthy regardless of the ailing circumstances. This confirms the studies of Ferrara (1994) and Francis (2017), that metaphors can be used for therapeutic purposes.

Notably, Nadia’s engagement with the aspect of spirituality within her existence proved advantageous and held significant therapeutic value as it enabled her to stay mentally stable giving no room to psychological comorbidities. Thus, religiotherapy could introduce novel avenues for treatment consideration.

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