The Use of Humor and Character in Portraying the Illusion of Control in Betting - a Study of Kinyanjui Kombani's of Pawns and Players

Abstract

According to this scholarly review, Kombani's book Of Pawns and Players uses humor and character development to look at the theme of greed for power, money and the false sense of control. This study looked at how humor has been used to call to attention the problems in the gambling sector. The literary depiction of greed, hypocrisy, and the manipulation of power for financial gain by social media influencers, government agencies, and politicians was also analyzed in this study. Marx's theory enabled the text to be investigated as an illustration of class struggle, showing the enlightenment of the poor against oppression. Narratology theory supported the assessment of Kombani's storytelling and literary techniques that efficiently disclosed the core issues; and the concept of postmodernism enabled the exploration of the text. The major goal was to analyze how Kombani makes use of humor and character to reveal the dishonesty of the gambling industry. As the characters struggled to resist the allure of apparent authority in the betting scenario, a deeper understanding of their weaknesses and psychological conflicts emerged. Through a qualitative analysis of this novel's themes, characters that are used and literary techniques, our knowledge of gambling and its representation in African literature has been expanded. The results shed light on the complexities of social behavior, the appeal of a deceptive illusion of control, and the repercussions of gambling. This study contextualized the function gambling has in Kenyan society as well as how it is depicted in African literature. By highlighting the significance of humor and character eccentricities, the study enriched readers regarding the novel's themes and demonstrated the ludicrousness of relying on control while gambling. Ultimately, the research was valuable since it shed light on the complexity of human nature while also emphasizing the broader ramifications of gambling and its depiction in literature