Repressive State Apparatus in mɨnkuħkʷaħ zəjfɨlləjo maʕs’o: An Ethiopian Political Novel

Abstract

The question of ideology is crucial to African literature because it reflects the historical circumstances of the society and lets society perceive the nature of its ideology at a certain time. It is accurate to state that literature, whether directly or indirectly, is an expression of the concept of ideology. Thus, the purpose of this article is to examine the repressive state infrastructure and ideology in a particular Tigrigna political fiction. The researcher used a qualitative and textual research approach and analysis because the study was centered on a literary work. This paper's primary focus is a detailed analysis of the oppressive machinery employed by the previous administrations. This work is important because it introduces other scholars to the idea of ideology and how it is portrayed socio-politically in novels. Althusser's Repressive State Apparatus served as the theoretical foundation for this investigation. As components of the repressive state apparatus, the police, the court, the prison, and the administrators were recognized as the main categories of the repressive apparatus in the novel.