Literature And Medicine As Prism For A Neofeminist Reading Of Flora Nwapa's Efuru

Abstract

At the height of their study, science and technology students tend to simplify their thought processes. The end product of such thinking comes in the form of simple, useful, and user-friendly devices such as handbrakes, seat belts, and remote control devices, among others. A comparative study of literature at similar levels, however, indicates a predilection for esotericism, abstraction, and complex theorizations – hegemony, deconstruction, post-modernism: studies of alienation that alienate. By interrogating a directly relatable subject such as literature and medicine, this paper will attempt to reinvest literature with a utilitarian essence, making it offer something of a practical value that the reader can relate to in their day-to-day lives. There is no better place to undertake such a study than Efuru, a novel with down-to-earth language, whose characters include physicians from diverse backgrounds. The research adopts Marxist and neofeminist approaches, the latter being both a methodology and an object of inquiry. Therefore, attempts at resolving the nature of feminism in Efuru become part of our inquiry into the whole universe of literature and medicine in the novel. We find that Efuru and, in particular, Ajanupu, are purveyors of a new consciousness of medical service delivery comparable to, if not a notch ahead of, the conventional medical services associated with the likes of Dr. Uzaru.