WOMEN AND THE REVOLUTION SPIRIT: USING MARIAMA BA’S SO LONG A LETTER, AKACHI ADIMORA-EZEIGBO’S TRAFFICKED AND CHINUA ACHEBE’S ANTHILLS OF THE SAVANNA AS PARADIGMS

Abstract

Literature as a discipline has attracted varying dimensions of attention over the years. Scholars have conceptualized literature and have come up with postulations. As the literary genres develop, so also do the criticism on these genres. The critical approach to the study of literature has come to x-ray literary works to ascertain their content and worth. It is through this critical approach that certain preoccupations of writers and their depiction and portraiture of characters are beginning to raise eye brows and are being questioned. Thus, efforts are being made in many quarters to dismantle the ugly trend of imbalance character portrayal in works of literature. It is through this critical approach that the ideology of feminism sparked off from. Writers are now on a corrective mission to balance the equation for the writings of many men has been one sided, portraying the female as baseless. Writers have made revolution part of their tool for this onerous task. It is in view of the foregoing that this paper critically analyses the revolution spirit in women. Drawing from the experiences of characters in Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo’s Trafficked and Chinua Achebe’s Anthill of the Savannah, the paper posits that writers can, through their character portrayal, effect changes in the scheme of things in the society and chart a new path for the society to follow. It draws extensively from the feminist ideology making statements that revolution is an indispensible ingredient in the strife for self-empowerment and self-actualization. The paper then recommends that for the growth, progress of the society, there should be balanced character portrayal, and female writers should galvanize their fellow women into actions that will culminate in self-actualization.     

Article visualizations: