Patriarchal hegemony and second sex in Chimamanda Adichie's Purple Hibiscus

IntroductionIn the past decades, gender representation in African literature has tended to create a voiceless woman, tagging along while their male counterparts are presented in heroic proportions. According to Disch (1997 pp.33):When someone is caged, or oppressed, it is crucial to examine all the bars of the cage to get a full understanding of the inability to escape; close, myopic examination of just one bar will not give a full understanding of why the person is trapped.Kehinde (2009) argues that gender dissonance, a part of literature, is a universal human phenomenon which manifests itself in several forms and contexts and is variegated by the nexus of time and space. The imagination it breeds plays itself out in varying degrees of concerns and/or conflict, which, in turn, (re)create or (re)enforce the conditions of gender relations among human beings. It is curious to know that gender discourse is becoming increasingly important across the world, and interest in the field is rapidly growing. This is, however, premised on the notion that resolving the problem of gender dissonance on the continent has become a crucial debate in recent times.Literature is a vital instrument for articulating and interpreting the realities and aspirations of a society. To that extent, literature occupies a significant place in the development of any nation. Scholars like Abiola Irele (1971), Terry Eagleton (1983), Nnolim (1985), (1992), Banjo Ogunjinmi (1994), Adewoye (1994) and Olu Obafemi (1994) have discussed at great length the importance of literature from this perspective (Akorede, 2011).Popoola (2009) admits that African literary world is bipartite in nature as both male and female writers compete for space and recognition in the region. The issue of gender is one of the major themes that continue to recur in both male and female writings. According to Kolawole (1999 pp.293), one cannot deny the impact of gender on the writer and critic of African literature. Gender has become ubiquitous in modern humanistic studies.The concept of feminismFeminist ideology rests, finally, on the proposition that women should be given equal rights and opportunities as men. It articulates the politics of gender discrimination, exploitation and liberation. It is an ideology that expresses the yearnings of most women who become conscious of the negative impositions being a woman have brought upon them in different cultural environments.More so, the core motif of feminist ideology remains the notion that human rights, status, obligations and priviledges should not be sexually determined. The radical consciousness and the pangs of living in a stratified society on gender basis has spurred feminine theorists to reiterate the idea of sexuality, gender politics, inequality and power relations between the male and the female in the society.Sheila (1980 pp.4) observes that feminists do not agree on one all-inclusive and universally acceptable definition. Richards (1982) too observes that the word does not have a singular meaning. She, however, admits that it is concerned with fighting the systematic social injustice against women.It is obvious that feminist across the globe agree that women are often maltreated, exploited; hence the need for the theory of emancipation.The theory of feminism proposes that a just society must be inclusive and seek equality for all across gender, race, and class. As a philosophy, feminism sets out principles and ideals that people should uphold and live by (Kehinde 2005). Feminism, as depicted by Chimamanda Adichie, offers a critique of social relations with respect to gender that highlights inequality, as it brings to light women's rights, emancipation, issues, interests, convictions and the like.Adichie foregrounds the notion of gender discrimination, gender dissonance, oppression and partiality through the experiences of Mama, a character in her novel. …