Cultural Affliction In Flora Nwapa’s One Is Enough And Nawal El-Saadawi’s Woman At Point Zero

ABSTRACT: This study examines the effects of Cultural Affliction in Flora Nwapa’s One Is Enough and Nawal El-Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero. Based on the finding of this study, is it discovered that there are obnoxious cultural practices in Africa. The study also exposes how women go through oppression, affliction patriarchal domination and male chauvinism. It also affects them psychologically and emotionally. Findings also revealed that in Nwapa’s One is Enough, the woman suffers untold humiliation, embarrassment and oppression in the hands of her husband and her mother in– law because her marriage is bereft of children. Nwapa portrays these forces of oppression and injustices that enslave women in Africa so she writes for fair and human treatment of the female gender especially on issues that demand societal understanding, sympathy and consolation for the women in the society.

In Saadawi’s Women at Point Zero, the findings further exposes cultural affliction in the life of Firdaus, who is oppressed and humiliated by her own family. In conclusion from the two novels, it is clear that female genders are really afflicted due to the obnoxious cultural practices in African societies. The recommendation therefore is that these cultural practices must be stopped in order to give a sense of belonging to the women in African countries.

Cultural Affliction In Flora Nwapa’s One Is Enough And Nawal El-Saadawi’s Woman At Point Zero

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

The privilege of man in African societies has involved and ensure of identified and subjectivities of many women, holding them to an assumption of female inferiority. To counter the injustice and the obnoxious cultural afflictions imposed to the female folk. African female writers like flora Nwapa, Buchi Emecheta, Ngozi Adichie and Ama Ata Aidoo and the rest of others have engaged in the theatrical prerogatives strategies designed to reconstitute the cultural erasures as they try to claim status as individuals. In the same vein, these female writers write about cultural humiliation, domination, and discrimination which the female gender passes through.

Furthermore, the study of women in general and African women in particular contributed to the breadth and depth of knowledge and theorizing of African realities in a number of ways.

Secondly, the position of women in comparison to men is the product of gender norms of society which have valued the males more than the females, and ignores women experiences. Consequently, these issues examined attempt to portray the cultural affliction in the selected works of Flora Nwapa’s One is Enough and Saadawi’s Women at Point Zero. For instance, in Nwapa’sOne is Enough,Amaka suffers untold humiliation, embarrassment, and oppression in the hands of her husband and her mother – in – law because her marriage is bereft of children. Through the ugly experiences of Amaka on the account of childlessness, Nwapa portray this forces of oppression and injustice that enslave women in Africa and she also write as a call for fair and human treatment of the second gender especially in issues that demand societal understanding, sympathy and consolation for the women in the society.

 Furthermore, looking at Saadawi’s point of view on cultural affliction in the society in Women at Point Zero Firdaus is oppressed and humiliated by her pimp. Firdaus liberation came with violent … Killing of her oppressor. But due to the patriarchal society, “Firdaus liberation is punished with execution (102).

From the existence it is clear that female genders are really afflicted due to the obnoxious cultural practices in Africa. Cultural practices favour the men folks and afflict pains to the females as seen in the characters.

Cultural Affliction In Flora Nwapa’s One Is Enough And Nawal El-Saadawi’s Woman At Point Zero

1.2 Statement of the problem

The continues subordination, humiliation and oppression of women are further aggravated by traditions, cultural beliefs and religions of most societies which favour patriarchy is portrayed by Flora Nwapa’s One is Enough and Nawal Saadawi’s Women at Point Zero.

Originally posted on October 20, 2021 @ 8:41 am