CHALLENGING GENDER STEREOTYPES AND PATRIARCHY: A WOMANISTREADING OF AKACHI ADIMORA-EZEIGBO’S TRILOGY

Abstract

The need to correct the misrepresentation and distortion of the image of women gave impetus to women’s writing. However, with the emergence of women’s writings arises a major challenge of finding an acceptable theory for analysing these writings. There are many epistemological positions in which these women’s writings may be situated, these include, feminism, African feminism, Black feminism, Stiwanism, Motherism, Africana womanism and so on. While the application of feminism makes these African women works far removed from their socio-cultural milieu, others like Black feminism has failed to adequately address the need for an African-centred framework for these works. Africana Womanism appears to be a more appropriate paradigm from which these works may be theorized. The womanist theory as expounded by Clenora Hudson-Weems showcases the unique African qualities of the African woman. This paper explores the relevance and suitability of the Africana womanist theory to Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo’s The Last of the Strong Ones, House of Symbols and Children of the Eagle. It argues that the projection and exaltation of these womanist ethics through her female characters enables the author to reconstruct the image of the African women. It is also a strategy for challenging and subverting those stereotypical perceptions about the African woman that had held sway in male authored works.