ABSTRACT: This research examined Gender Crisis in Nawal El-Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Akachi Ezeigbo’s The Last of the Strong Ones. The study has shown that, El-Saadawi and Akachi are among the African prolific female authors whose literary works serve as a gateway of addressing the challenges of gender crisis facing the female folks in African society today. The study further revealed that, El-Saadawi and Akachi’s works expose the effect of mental, psychological and social welfare of African women.
In Akachi’s The Last of the Strong Ones, the female characters went through cultural discrimination, affliction and also oppressed by their male counterparts. According to them, the experiences of these female folks in men-dominated cultural society are the main causes of gender crisis in their literary writings. It is also discovered that gender crisis affects the female folks both nationally and internationally as portrayed by the two feminists. The study therefore recommends that female children should be given equal educational opportunity like the male ones. In the same vein, widows should not be maltreated.
Gender Crisis In Nawal El-Saadawi’s Woman At Point Zero And Akachi Ezeigbo’s The Last Of The Strong Ones
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
One of the challenges women face today is the revision of African cultural practices. The issues of gender crisis affect women emotionally and psychologically. Since primordial times, women have been oppressed and victimized by men. While on the other hand, men have always enjoyed ordering women in various homes. To be dominated, oppressed and victimized is to be eliminated from vital aspects of human endeavours and women have had to contend with this for a long time now. It is on this point that female writer named Benard show says:
Oh, what faithless little creatures girls are? Based on Shaw’s assertion, African women are not an exception to humiliation, oppression, discriminate and victimization by their male counterparts.
In the Last of the Strong Ones, Akachi exposes the issues of male domination and widowhood conflict in the life of women in Umgua traditional existence before the coming of Kosiri (the white man). She uses Onyekozuru to depict how she marries her spouse out of poverty and later becomes widower at twenty six years without help. It is at this instance that the author exposes the issues of gender crisis in African literature.
In addition to Akachi’s assertion on the problems faced by African women, Nawal El Saadawi’s Women at Point Zero also point out that, women are always at disadvantages in any relationship with the opposite sex. She shows the image of women as a sex object in the hands of men in the society. In support of El Saadawi’s view, one of the feminist writers, Ruth Sherry opined that:
Women are still not treated equally with men. They are not given same respects and even traditionally, they are treated as slaves. They are not also allowed to participate even exercised in the private. They are not allowed to express their feeling in public policy (59). She says some literature written by women are merely on their situation, life’s experience of their fellow women (59). This means that, a feminist work identifies those patriarchal and other structures which are responsible for female oppression in the society like gender discrimination, patriarchal domination and sex abuse by the male counterparts in the society.
1.2 Statement of the problem
The African novels have been a mirror of societal values and beliefs. Therefore, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo’s The Last of the Strong Ones and Nawal El-Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero serve as a gateway into the African society. In the same vein; the African novel tells stories by creating characters that reflect the socio-historical determinant of real life. The main responsibilities of the African female writers are to portray the level of oppression, discrimination and trauma being faced by women in the society and possibly to call for a change in issues affecting the female folks in the society.
1.3 Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to analyse the gender crisis in African literature in Nawal El-Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Akachi Ezeigbo’s The Last of the Strong Ones.
Gender Crisis In Nawal El-Saadawi’s Woman At Point Zero And Akachi Ezeigbo’s The Last Of The Strong Ones
1.4 Significance of the study
This study will be significance to the entire African societies as it hopes to eliminate some practices that affect women psychologically and emotionally. The study will also serve as a reference material to researchers who would wish to research on Nawal El-Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zion and Akachi Ezeigbo’s The Last of the Strong Ones. The study will also be of important use to students of English and literature about feminist writings.
1.5 Research Methodology
The primary method employed in this study will examine El-Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Akachi Ezeigbo’s The Last of the Strong Ones, while the secondary method will focus on articles, journals, internet and literary textbooks for reliable information for this research work.
