Workplace Exploitation and Labour Identity in Nigerian Industrial Narratives: Analyzing Themes in Dul Johnson’s Deeper into the Night"

The relationship between labour identity and workplace exploitation in Nigeria’s industrial sector remains a key sociological concern. Literature serves as a reflective and analytical medium, capturing socio-economic struggles. Dul Johnson’s Deeper into the Night offers a striking portrayal of labour conditions, exploitation, and identity crises among Nigerian workers. This study examines how the novel encapsulates these issues and how literature aids in analyzing workplace inequalities. This research is guided by Marxist literary criticism and post-colonial labour theories. Marxist criticism highlights labor commodification and worker alienation under capitalist systems (Marx, 1867), while post-colonial labour theories assess the impact of colonial economic structures on modern labor relations (Fanon, 1961). These perspectives help contextualize themes of exploitation and identity in Deeper into the Night. A qualitative content analysis approach was used to examine the novel as a socio-industrial text. Key passages depicting labor conditions, workplace conflicts, and character interactions were systematically analyzed to identify dominant themes, particularly in how workers resist or endure exploitation. The novel illustrates harsh labor conditions through themes such as Alienation and Marginalization - Workers are treated as expendable under capitalist structures. Economic Hardship and Class Struggle -The widening socio-economic divide reinforces systemic inequalities. Resistance and Resilience - Some characters challenge oppression, demanding better conditions. Deeper into the Night critically examines Nigeria’s industrial labour landscape. It was recommended amongst others that literature should be integrated into sociological and policy discussions to enhance understanding of workers' experiences and that future research should explore similar themes in other African literary works.