Abstract
A technique is the means by which the author chooses to inform his or her story. The novel is a living thing. It grows, leaves its impact on people and inspires the readers to ponder over it. Experience, discovery, use of language all come together to bring forth the work of art. Habila through his novel Waiting for an Angel (WFA) shows his artistic ability visibly and clearly explains Nigeria with its excess baggage of stifling contradictions. Through his works he not only projects the slaughter of the colonist but also admits the mistake of his own people. He asks his people not to be afraid of any violence and to stand against evil and invites people to discover from the mistakes in history and not to repeat them. His works formalise the search for nationhood and reveal that writing is a controlling tool for collective action against social power. The study thus discusses Helon Habila‟s use of literary techniques and style of writing in Waiting for an Angel; it not only creates a consciousness and impact in the international literary field, but also explores the role of the Nigerian writer in the route of inflammable creation and thereby reveals the power in the writer‟s creativity.
Key words: Technique, Social power, Consciousness
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