Gender Violence in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's

GENDER VIOLENCE IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS AND HALF OF A YELLOW SUN BY FASHAKIN, FOLASHADE YEMISI DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERARY STUDIES FACULTY OF ARTS, AHMADU BELLO UNVERSITY, ZARIA NIGERIA. JUNE, 2015 i GENDER VIOLENCE IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS AND HALF OF A YELLOW SUN BY FASHAKIN, FOLASHADE YEMISI MA/ARTS/02080/2008-2009 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES. AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN LITERATURE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERARY STUDIES FACULTY OF ARTS, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA JUNE, 2015 ii DECLARATION I declare that this thesis is my original work. It is submitted for the degree of Master of Arts degree in Literature, at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. It has not been submitted before for any other degree or examination at any other university. All quotations and information used and their sources are acknowledged by means of references. FASHAKIN YEMISI FOLASHADE ………………………………… ……………. …………… Name of Student Signature Date iii CERTIFICATION This Study titled Gender Violence in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun by Fashakin, Folashade Yemisi MA/ARTS/02080/2008-2009 of the Department of English and Literary Studies has been carefully examined and approved by the committee of supervisors under whose auspices, was carried as meeting the regulations governing the Award of a Master Degree in Literature of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. ………………………. ………………….. Professor Tanimu Abubakar Date Chairman, Supervisory Committee .……………………… ………………………. Professor Sani Abba Date Member, Supervisory Committee …………………………. ………………………… Dr. Abubakar A Liman Date Head of Department ………………………… …………………………. Professor Hassan Zoaka Date Dean School of Postgraduate Studies School of Post-Graduate Studies iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The road to the completion of this thesis has not been smooth and easy. But finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Many people contributed in various ways to the completion of this thesis and to them, I owe a sea of gratitude. Foremost is my supervisor, Prof. Tanimu Abubakar who refused to give up on me even when I gave up on myself. He was always available to read and correct my work as many times until I got it right. Without him, this thesis would never have seen the light of day. I also want to thank my second Supervisor, Prof. Sani Abba for his encouragement and unflinching support of my work. Many people contributed in diverse ways to the completion of this work and posterity demands I mention them. At the top of the list is Late Prof Aderemi Bamikunle who until he drew his last breath would call on the phone to find out the progress of my work. I also acknowledge Dr Ahmad Babajo, who encouraged me to be focused and not be distracted. Others who also contributed to the success of this thesis include, Prof. and Mrs Enoch Oyedele, Mallam Salihu Bappa, Prof. Ahmed Buratai, and Dr Emmanuel Jegede, My late Uncle and confidant, Mr C. O. Obieje (oga CY) who told me everything was possible with God. My colleagues who encouraged me every step of the way include Mrs J Anyanwu, Basirat Hassan, Idi Amin Brains, Idiong Enobong, Mrs Bimpe Ogunwole, Ngozi Olisah and Aunty Bunmi Akinwade. I also thank my neighbours Mr and Mrs Ishaku Gadzama for their contributions. Last is a special group made up of friends and family; my husband John Otu , and my mother-in-law Prof D Otu, I appreciate their encouragements. To my good friends Yinka Olowu and Chinenye Ezeoke I say a big thank you. My other friends, Dr Fanny Kinge Mbafor, Dr Maryam Dewu, mummy Salim, my departed friend, Aisha Ohunene Ali, words cannot convey my gratitude. My siblings Rotimi, Yinka, Muyiwa, Gbenga, Kayode, and Segun, thanks for your prayers and support. My daughters Stephanie, Sophia and Rachael; who always wondered why mummy was still schooling at old age, I say thank you, we have come to the end of this road. Above all, I acknowledge the grace of my supreme Lord and Master Jesus Christ, who makes everything beautiful in His time. v DEDICATION To God Almighty for His mercies, and all that believed in me. vi ABSTRACT Gender-based violence is not a new problem in the Nigerian society or other societies of the world. Violence against an individual on the basis of his /her gender is common place and is becoming endemic. Various studies have been carried out on what fosters gender violence and what makes it thrive with a view to putting an end to the problem. This has opened up various arguments as to how the problem can best be tackled. This study looks at the analyses of gender violence in the Nigerian novel and how Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie presents this problem in her novels; Purple Hibiscus (2003) and Half of a Yellow Sun (2006).This research interrogates how Adichie presents gender violence in these novels and how it affects the female gender. This study demonstrates that the texts selected by its thematic preoccupation and character delineation show culture and tradition as strong factors in sex differentiation, creation of gender identities and power sharing. It also shows that socially constructed roles and identities contribute to domestic and social violence in patriarchal societies. The study examines the themes, metaphors and symbolic representation of characters through the feminist perspective and Max Weber‘s power theory. This is because the analyses of gender relations must take into cognizance theories of a person‘s biological sex and gender identity and how it affects power sharing and the role of tradition, laws and the dominant ideology in the perpetuation of gender-based violence. Adichie‘s writings portray a strong call against gender violence and the treatment of women as commodities. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page................................................................................................................................... i Declaration ................................................................................................................................ii Certification……………………………………………………………………….………….iii Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………….......v Dedication.................................................................................................... …………..…….vi Abstract……………………………………………………………………………..…….….vii CHAPTER ONE……………………………………………………………………………...1 1.0 Introduction …………………………………………………………..............................1 1.1 Sex, Gender and Violence…………………………….……………………...………......1 1.2 Statement of Problem…………………………………………………………..………...5 1.3 Aim and Objectives of Study…………………………..…………..…............................6 1.4 Significance of Study………………………….……………………………….………...7 1.5 Scope and Limitation of Study………………………...…………….………..…………8 1.6 Methodology………………………………………………………………….……....….9 1.7 Background to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie…………...…………………...…………..9 1.8 The Novel and Gender Discourse in Nigeria………………………. ………...……......11 1.9 Theoretical Framework……………………………………………………...………….20 1.9.1 Radical Feminism as Theoretical Framework……………………………....................21 1.9.2 The Emergence of the Theory………………………………………………..………...21 1.9.3 Max Weber‘s Power Theory…………………………………………………..….…....24 1.9.4 Radical Feminist Theory and Max Weber Power Theory..……………………........…27 2.0 CHAPTER TWO ……………………………………………………………………….28 2.1 Review of Related Literature............................................................................................28 3.0 CHAPTER THREE: Purple Hibiscus………………………………………………..41 3.1 The Reconstruction of Childhood Character in Purple Hibiscus......................................41 3.1.2 Gender and genre; A Feminist Exploration of the Bildungsroman in Purple Hibiscus...............................................................................................................................…42 3.2 The Weight of Religion in Purple Hibiscus……………………….………………..……45 3.3 Violence as a Metaphor for Silence in Purple Hibiscus…....……………………...…….51 3.4 The Good Wife in Purple Hibiscus…………………………….…………..………..…...57 viii 4.0 CHAPTER FOUR: Half of a Yellow Sun.......................................................................62 4.1 The Redefined Image of Women in Half of a Yellow Sun.................................................62 4.2 The role of Women in the Nigerian Civil War in Half of a Yellow Sun............................69 4.3 Sexual Violence in Half of a Yellow Sun ...……………………………………….…......75 4. 4 Patriarchy and Marginalization in Half of a Yellow Sun ………………………….........77 5.0 CHAPTER FIVE 5.0 Conclusion………………………………….………………………………………....….84 BIBLOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………...….87 ix CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Sex, Gender and Violence. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to women writing in Africa. Consequently, gender studies dominated the literary scene and the representation of women in male authored works precipitated many critical debates. In other words, there has been more interest in examining the ways in which men behave, particularly in relation to women. Consequently, a literary canon was developed in which women writers give a re-presentation of the female experience by depicting a different image of women in their works in variance wih the earlier works by male authors. In furtherance of the argument on the importance of women writing about the female experience in literary texts, Aidoo (1996) submits that, ―Women writers write about women because when we wake up in the

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