What Moral Lessons does The Life Changer by Khadija Abubakar Jalli teach? The Life Changer by Khadija Abubakar Jalli being a book which was approved by the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) had gone a lone way to affect the lives of youths especially students. This simply means that the text is not just there for the purpose of examination only. It is also a guideline to how to live your life as a student and a youth.
Generally, one of the functions of literature is lesson. They all teach one thing or the other. In the same manner, the JAMB book is not out of it.
I’m sure you already know who the protagonist of the novel is. In my previous article, I shared full details of where and when the whole story happened. Do not skip them.
Having known the above, I will share few moral lessons from the book. Please do well to share what you learned from the book in the comment section.
4 Moral Lessons to Learn from The Life Changer by Khadija Abubakar Jalli
1. Pride comes before a fall
This is one of the most important lessons which every youth should learn. You might not want to experience this before you learn that pride can cause your downfall.
Pride, in The Life Changer, was portrayed by Salma.
Pride could be seen in Salma’s life as it denied her of so many things which she regretted. First, pride made her reject Habib’s proposal when deep down she wanted it. She did it in a way to show that she is of a high class. Generally, women like to be seen as expensive but the manner in which you handle each case matters. Handling such issues in a mild and sensitive manner is a virtue.
2. Regard for Others Pays
It is important to regard and respect others no matter how little they appear to be. Those around you have a lot of role to play in your life either directly or indirectly.
When Salma went for her registration in school, she expressed disregard for others including her lecturers during an interview with a young lecturer who she mistook for a casual interviewer.
During the, she interview expressed her ability to win favour from his lecturers by just offering a token. She lowered her lecturers’ statuses to the extent that she said they can do anything for 2,000 or 3,000. Unknowingly to her, the young man who interviewed her was the lecturer in charge of her registration process. This gives the lecturer a bad insight about Salma.
While her point of view tends to be true due to our present society, it should not be done in an nonconstructive manner. Criticisms are meant to be constructive and not as an insult.
3. Examination Malpractice is a Crime
No form of examination or test supports malpractice. One of the examination ethics is that no one is allowed to come in to the exam hall with any material which is not allowed. Aside from that, displaying any unacceptable attitude in the examination arena amounts to malpractice.
In Nigeria, examination malpractice attracts years of imprisonment because it is a fraudulent act. In other words, it is a criminal act which amounts to punishment.
In most cases, students end up losing their academic journey (expulsion) as a result of one misconduct or the other.
Salma and Kola were used by Khadija Abubakar to showcase exam malpractice and its outcome. Salma needed an aid in the exam hall and Kola became her aid immediately. Salma lost her academic journey in her final year as a student of the university as she was expelled.
She encountered so many misfortunes on the way while she was trying to resolve the issue which later proved abortive.
One funny thing about examination malpractice is how people tend to see it as “help in the exam hall” and not as “crime”. This particular concept has landed so many in the prison and some at home.
In all, do your best to avoid anything that would jeopardize your future in the university.
4. Change is Possible
No one is above change apart from the supreme bring (God). people change from young to old. People also change from good to evil and vice versa.
But who encountered change the JAMB novel? Salma did.
In the beginning of the novel, Salma was seen as a notorious student who wanted recognition as on of the ‘happening’ girls on campus. We all saw that most of her problems where caused by her bad behaviour.
However, change took place in her life at the end the novel. Though, she learned the hard way.
Conclusion: Moral Lessons in The Life Changer
Though, The Life Changer by Khadija Abubakar Jalli is a fictional story (unreal story), it teaches students and youths how to live their lives. Whatever one does in his/her youthful age has a lot to impact in his/her future.
It is both a piece of advice and warning to youths out there. Just focus on making your life better.
Do well to share other moral lessons with us in the comment section.