Abstract

The portrayal of women in most African male-authored novels which appeared before and after the independences, frustrated many African female intellectuals. The latter considered that some African men writers have not presented a fair image of women in their writings. For them, they have marginalised and relegated women to second-class citizens. Thus, these female intellectuals set out in their turn to write literary texts in which they correct what they considered to be shortcomings in African male writings. Among these women writers stands out Flora Nwapa who deals in One is Enough (1981) with issues such as gender, sexuality, tradition, postcolonialism, modernity, culture, sociology, psychology and materialism in Nigerian society in particular and African societies in general. Leaning on African feminism, postcolonialism, sociology and psychology as theories, this article analyses female self-fulfilment and self-affirmation in One is Enough. In this perspective, the paper zeroes in on the awareness-raising about women’s right to defend their opinion and physical integrity. It also sheds light on the possibility for women to find fulfilment outside marriage.

Keywords

  • female
  • self-fulfilment
  • self-affirmation
  • marriage
  • feminism
  • postcolonialism

References

  1. AKUNG, Jonas E. (2013). “The Western Voice ahnd Feminist Criticism of the Nigerian Novel.” World Journal of English Language, Vol.3, No.1 ; 2013
  2. http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v3n1p24
  3. AMADIUME, Ifi (1987). Male daughters, Female Husbands. Gender and Sex in an African Society, London and New Jersey, Zed Books.
  4. AMOUZOU, Akoété (2006). “Reconceptualizing Gender in Nigerian Literature: The Dynamics of Womanist Ideology in Flora Nwapa's Fiction.” Revue du CAMES Nouvelle Série B, Vol. 007 No 1 (1er Semestre), 2006.
  5. APENA, Adeline (1998). “Bearing the Burden of Change: Colonial and Post-Colonial Experiences in Flora Nwapa’s Women are Different.” Emerging Perspectives on Flora Nwapa: Critical and Theoretical Essays. Ed. Marie Umeh. Africa World Press, 1998
  6. CAKPO-CHICHI ZANOU, L. C. and al. (2017). “Amma Darko’s Contribution in Beyond the Horizon to Contemporary Gender Portrayals.” Africology : The Journal of Pan African Studies, Vol.10, No.1 ; 2017. https://bec.uac.bj/publication/3768/Article
  7. CHUKWUMA, Helen (1990). Voices and Choices: Literature and Black Aesthetics. Ed. Emenyonu, Ernest N. Ibadan : Heinemann Educational Books Ltd, 1990
  8. DIONE, Saliou & DIOP, Mamadou (2020). “The Paradox of the Self in A Nose for Money (2006) by Francis Namnjoh : Between Searched and Fractured Self.” International Journal of Arts and Social Science, Vol.3, Issue 4, July-August 2020
  9. https://www.ijassjournal.com/2020/V314/41465752167.pdf
  10. DAVIES, Carole Boyce and GRAVES, Anne Adams, eds., (1986). Ngambika: Studies of Women in African Literature, Trenton, New Jersey, Africa World Press.
  11. EL ARBAOUI, F. Z. (2018). “Barrenness as A Weapon for The Women Oppression in Flora Nwapa’s One is Enough.” Journal of Narrative and Language Studies. June 2018, Vol.6, Issue10. https://www.nalans.com/nalans/article/view/94
  12. EMECHETA, Buchi (1986). Head Above Water, London & Nigeria, Ogwugwu Afo
  13. GBAGUIDI, Celestin (2018). “The Myth of Men’s Supremacy in Flora Nwapa’s Women are Different.” AFRREV, Vol.12(2), S/No.50, APRIL 2018
  14. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/afrrev.v12i2.8
  15. HADJITHEODOROU, Francisca (1999). “Women speak : the creative transformation of women in African literature.” https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/26938?show=full
  16. KUMAH, C. (2000). “African Women and Literature” in West Africa Review 2,1. Africa Resource Centre Ltd. http://www.westafricareview.com/vol2/Kumah.html
  17. KWATSHA, Linda (2015). “The portrayal of single women characters in selected African literary texts.” http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/lit.v36i1.1209
  18. MEARS, Mary D. (2009). “Choice and discovery : An analysis of women and culture in Flora Nwapa’s fiction. Graduate Theses and Dissertations.”
  19. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/2099
  20. MIBENGE, Catherine (2007). “The Depiction of Women by African Women Writers : Culture, Education and Power.” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304571182
  21. NAMOULONDO, Sarah (2010). "Imagined Realities, Defying Subjects: Voice, Sexuality and Subversion in African Women's Writing" . Graduate Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/3435
  22. NFAH-ABBENYI, Juliana (1997). Gender in African Women’s Writing: Identity, Sexuality and Difference. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1997
  23. NWAPA, Flora (1966). Efuru. London, Heinemann.
  24. ________________ (1981). One is Enough. Trenton, New Jersey, Africa World Press.
  25. ________________ (1986). Women are Different. Trenton, New Jersey, Africa World Press.
  26. OLURUNTOBA-OJU, Omotayo & Taiwo (2013). “Models in the construction of female identity in Nigerian postcolonial literature.” http://www.researchgate.net/publication/262510069
  27. UCHENDU, Victor C. (1965). The Igbo of Southeast Nigeria. New York : Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
  28. UMEH, Marie (1995). “The Poetics of Economic Independence for Female Empowerment: An Interview with Flora Nwapa.” Research in African Literatures. Trenton: African World Press, Vol. 26, No. 2, 1995