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It is about how polygamy and patriarchy affect women negatively in Nigeria
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Running Head: THE DESTRUCTIVE SIDE of POLYGAMY and PATRIARCHY on NIGERIAN WOMEN
Running Head: THE DESTRUCTIVE SIDE of POLYGAMY and PATRIARCHY on NIGERIAN WOMEN OUTLINE Title: The Destructive Side of Polygamy and Patriarchy on Nigerian Women Research Question: What are the Negative Effects of Polygamy and Patriarchal Power in terms of Nigerian Women in Buchi Emecheta’s Novel called Kehinde? Thesis Statement: Most of the critiques focus on the adaptation process and culture clashes of the book named Kehinde. I, distinctively, want to evaluate the negative effects of polygamy and patriarchy for Nigerian women in this paper. Argument: Polygamy and patriarchal system definitely supress women and they harshly ignore their individual freedom and human rights in Nigeria, whereas men have rights to dominate and possess them. This situation puts women in a second place by accepting them just as mothers and wives. It is clear that women have no name and identity without existence of a man. Methodology: I use qualitative research method by focusing on journals, books and dissertations about polygamy and patriarchy in Nigeria. This study is based on the analysis of theories about patriarchy, polygamy and negative effects on Nigerian women. The paper’s main aim is to evaluate women’s situation based on the characters in Kehinde.
Running Head: THE DESTRUCTIVE SIDE of POLYGAMY and PATRIARCHY on NIGERIAN WOMEN Abstract This paper examines the negative effects of polygamy and patriarchal system for Nigerian women in the novel of Kehinde by Buchi Emecheta. The women characters, especially Kehinde, feel trapped and lost under pressure of patriarchal power. A significant number of Nigerian men are polygamists and polygamy (married to more than one woman) is seen that a part of Nigerian culture. In the novel, Albert (Kehinde’s husband) is willing to return Nigeria from London to be a part of polygamy. Male supremacy dominates Nigeria, while women are put in the second even third place in the society. Polygamy and patriarchy become highly poisonous in terms of the women who are left to violence of the cruel male dominated system in Nigeria. In Nigeria, it is observed that the being a woman is reduced to a second-class citizen. There is a gender inequality in the system that shows the best place for women is in the ‘Kitchen’. Buchi Emecheta uses different characters who are both rebellious and obedient women to show the negative sides of male domination in terms of women. In doing so, her main heroines generally evolve from weak to strong and free women who are fundamental for feminism. These female protagonists grow as influencers between other stereotypes of women. The paper demonstrates the limited freedom of Nigerian women who are viewed as properties of men and definitely subject to their will. Key Words: polygamy, patriarchy, gender inequality, feminism
Running Head: THE DESTRUCTIVE SIDE of POLYGAMY and PATRIARCHY on NIGERIAN WOMEN Information about Buchi Emecheta Florence Onyebuchi Emecheta (1944-2017), one of the most important female Igbo writers, witnessed difficulties of patriarchy and unequal gender roles in Africa throughout her life, she reflected her own experiences concerning how women are lost in polygamy and patriarchy in her novels most of which are realistic works. As an African and female novelist, she chose modern African women as her protagonists and “she chronicles their struggle for equality in a male-dominated world. Rather than simply portraying the African woman symbolically as part of the warm and secure African past, she offers faithful portrayals, patterns of self-analysis and general insights into the female psyche” (Umeh 190). Actually, she tries to achieve the hard in male dominated world and exist as a female writer. That’s, Emecheta tries to survive in male dominated African literature with her pen. “Africa’s literary history reveals that writing has been dominated by men, with comparatively few women producing literary works. This has been attributed to the highly patriarchal nature of the traditional and modern African society, which has continued to give more space for self-affirmation to men.” (James 1) She generally displays struggle of women in patriarchal system of Africa. Emecheta’s major themes are the quest for equal treatment, self-confidence and dignity as a woman. It can be said that women move from slavery to freedom and independence in her novels. She is a pioneer for her generation in Africa wrote about rebellious women characters being oppose to patriarchy and polygamy. According to Darko and Tetteh, “Her depiction of the experiences of African women, in general and Nigerian women, in particular, has challenged the stereotyped and idealised images of African women found in male texts.” (53) Emecheta is considered a pioneer in African male dominated writing. Without a doubt her life isn’t a fairy tale, it is true and hard life story. Although her younger brother went to school, Kehinde was kept at home due to the gender bias in Africa. Unless she didn’t won scholarship for Methodist boarding school, she might never have escaped her background of poverty and deprivation. She married Sylvester Onwordi in 1960 at the age of 16. Two years later, already a young mother of two, she followed her husband to England where he went to pursue his studies. Unable to tolerate her abusive marriage, she left her husband in 1966 after he burnt the manuscript of her first book The Bride Price because he was unable to accept her
Running Head: THE DESTRUCTIVE SIDE of POLYGAMY and PATRIARCHY on NIGERIAN WOMEN INTRODUCTION to KEHINDE One of the novels in which Emecheta presents the dark side of patriarchy and polygamy is Kehinde , written in 1994. Kehinde , which is the famous novel of Emecheta, is about a woman named Kehinde and her family. Our female protagonist seeks her independence during the novel. We, as readers, witness Kehinde’s evolution from good and obedient “Nigerian wife” to an independent woman. Although she has lived in London for eighteen years, she is always remembered being a good “Nigerian wife” by her husband, Albert. In other words, Kehinde is the story of an immigrant Nigerian family; however the protagonist cannot take breathe in her own land when Albert decided to go back to Nigeria. Most of the critiques focus on the adaptation process and culture clashes of the book named Kehinde. I, distinctively, want to evaluate the negative effects of polygamy and patriarchy for Nigerian women in this paper. Kehinde works in a bank also she is about to receive promotion. She has a breadwinner role at home by earning more than Albert. Kehinde is conscious of the freedom, that’s why she doesn’t want to leave London. It can be said that she has good relationship with her friend, Moriammo and her sister Ifeyinwa; however, she doesn’t fit a conventional type of Nigerian woman. She adopted a kind of Western lifestyle. She created a comfortable zone in London, which she has equal rights with men. For example, “Kehinde was aware that she could talk to her husband less formally than women like her sister, Ifeyinwa, who were in more traditional marriages.” (Emecheta 6) It is one of the simple examples for Kehinde who feels free in London. The great supporter of Kehinde is Taiwo, who is her dead-twin, we frequently hear her internal voice. Surely, Kehinde likes freedom but as she is an obedient “Nigerian wife”, she behaves devotedly. When she is back to Nigeria, she really feels lost and trapped in patriarchal tradition. She couldn’t accept Albert’s second marriage and she decided to return her “wonderland”, London. That is, we can say that she is rebellious character who is fond of her own freedom. It looked as if she was the only one in the family satisfied with their stay in England. Albert could hardly hide his delight at the thought of going home, and the children had been infected with his enthusiasm Kehinde wondered why she found it so difficult to join in. (Emecheta 41)
Running Head: THE DESTRUCTIVE SIDE of POLYGAMY and PATRIARCHY on NIGERIAN WOMEN This quotation displays that Kehinde is willing to stay in London instead of returning to ‘hell’. Nigeria is thought as ‘hell’ since she is as free as in Britain. Since she finds equality and freedom, she loves Western culture. She doesn’t have subordinate position in England. She has created her individual identity as a powerful woman in London. After the return of Albert and her children, she manages to live as a single female in her house. This situation makes her guilty and disobedient woman. Nobody can accept her staying alone and freedom struggle among her Nigerian friends. Although Moriammo is her best friend, she and her husband strictly criticize Kehinde. Moriammo’s husband is really angry with his wife just because of their friendsip. What was Moriammo, a good muslim wife, doing at all, with a Christian woman who had sent all her family away so she could have a good time? Any man could go to her now, had Moriommo thought of that? What would Olimide think of her when he grew up? It was a shame of Kehinde’s husband Albert: “He spoke with contempt of inadequacies of men like Albert, who leave their wives at the mercy of all comers in London, who take their wives to clinics to abort their babies because of money. Why did he go back to Nigeria when they both had good jobs? It was because of greed and the love of women. It was obvious Albert must have another woman by now, and had no further use for Kehinde. (Emecheta 57) Moriammo is described as a good Muslim wife but Kehinde is Christian woman without a man. It shows that women must be a wife or a mother under the command of men; otherwise women have no individual identity. Kehinde is abused by Nigerian men in the novel. Since Kehinde is alone woman, her situation is judged that every men have right to bother her. For their patriarchal views, she is permissive to any men without a husband. Traditional Nigerian life style cannot accept a free woman, according to this view she must be submissive and respectful to the constructed patriarchal rules. “…Kehinde is immediately reduced to an inferior woman by the people thinking like Tunde, Moriammo’s husband. It is a known fact that the term subaltern is used to denote an inferior military rank and a general attribute of subordination.” (Oğuz 68) Sooner or later Kehinde feels half-person without her husband and children, she returned to Nigeria. The traditional concepts are imposed to good and obedient Nigerian women. For example, they cannot live alone; they must submit the authority of men. In the relationship of patriarchy and power, women become weak and subordinate characters rather than independent
Running Head: THE DESTRUCTIVE SIDE of POLYGAMY and PATRIARCHY on NIGERIAN WOMEN LITERATURE REVIEW Women are discriminated against at almost every level; in government and in the family in Nigeria. This discrimination puts women in a minority group whose destiny is between two lips of men. The unmarried woman is her father’s property while the married woman is her husband’s property. For example, in the novel of Kehinde , our protagonist is seen as Albert’s (her husband) property. “He had already made the decision to return home. It was only a matter of when.” (Emecheta 6) This quotation clearly shows that Kehinde isn’t asked her idea about going back to Nigeria. Albert has already decided to return his motherland to be a part of patriarchal system and polygamy. From a patriarchal perspective, polygamy is indicative of the loss of feminism and gender equality. Men have right to take till four wives if they want and it is very normal in Nigeria. That’s it is a sort of suppression of women right and men do whatever they want legally. It can be said that it is a legal cheating. According to Rabia, “Polygamy, as a mechanism of control, takes place by making sure that sexual relations are institutionalized and takes place in a legitimate marriage, the increasing “need” to control women’s sexuality.” (Rabia
Running Head: THE DESTRUCTIVE SIDE of POLYGAMY and PATRIARCHY on NIGERIAN WOMEN Polygamy and patriarchy have long been comfortable bedfellows, and the rights of women had always been subordinated to the larger freedoms enjoyed by men and to the patriarchal perception of the good of the community. The actualization of human rights for women in contexts of development is impeded by adverse circumstances of every kind: social, political, economic… (Bowan 50) Most critics state that, polygamy inevitably strengthen men whereas it denies women’s superiority. That’s men always hold power in polygamy also every woman, even they’re well educated, has to be submissive. Obviously, polygamous men are more satisfied than women because women are emotionally, physically, financially and sexually rejected. Since polygamy is only designed to meet sexual desire of men, women usually become victims of the system. “Inequality may be built into polygamous marriage insofar as the husband’s central position provides him with a strategic advantage over his wives.” (Eskridge 131-32) Women are taught how to cook, deal with housework and raise a child until their childhood. For example Bimpe (Kehinde’s daughter) complains about workload at home whereas her brother, Joshua is raised as a protector of woman and house. It is a clear example of gender discrimination under rules of patriarchal system in Nigeria. Women are seen slaves of men and human beings, who need to be protected by men (firstly father and then husbands). Also male child is significant in Nigerian culture. If a woman doesn’t give a birth to a son, she is considered barren by the society even though she has daughters. A male child is seen as chance and future of the society. It is a typical view in patriarchal order. “In the Nigerian society, gender is associated with sex from the very time a child is born. From birth, the male child is preferred to the female. The first question usually asked when a child is born in Nigeria is “Is it a boy or a girl?” (Dogo 265) While polygamy negatively affects men and children, it is women who suffer most. I categorize polygamy as a feminine problem because men appear to selfishly use women to meet their sexual desires and attain special social status in their societies at the expense of the women’s dignity. While some men continue to add to the number of wives in their compounds, my research has shown that the institution of polygamy is saturated with the tears of weeping women. The women in polygamous marriages are silently singing in unison, "Mitara nimasuzgo, mulije kaweme kalikose. Kasi banalume bakutemwerachi mitara?" ("Polygamy is full of problems. There is nothing good in it. Why do men like it"?) (Mlenga 120)
Running Head: THE DESTRUCTIVE SIDE of POLYGAMY and PATRIARCHY on NIGERIAN WOMEN take decisions for her. In the novel, Rike (Albert’s second wife) and Ifeyinwa (Kehinde’s sister) are shown as obedient and submissive characters. They have already accepted themselves as inferior beings to men. Actually, they don’t question the patriarchal power over women. Sandra Lee Bartky argues that “…women voluntarily continue to be victims of male gaze and judgement. Their concept of a traditional woman has been so deep-seated that they treat women who think and act differently as enemies.” (Barkty 34) Since Kehinde is the only rebellious woman in the novel, she differs from other obedient characters by seeking her individual independence. CONCLUSION To sum up, the novel revolves around searching for individual identity as a woman in patriarchal world which is related with polygamy and these norms put women to second position in the society. Kehinde is unwilling to adapt Nigerian culture where she is marginalised and oppressed. Women are dominated with the burden of patriarch power and polygamy by the society. Men are the only leaders and they have to be respected in any condition. Women are only left to domestic works at home, whereas men are free and they do whatever they want. In the journey of Kehinde, we see that she doesn’t only want to be mother and wife (sex object) during her life. She turns to an independent woman from an obedient Nigerian wife. In this paper, I want to evaluate the destructive parts of men power over women, whereas other scholars focus on adaptation process and immigration effects of the characters. It is understandable that women become muppets of firstly their fathers and then husbands. They are always under command of any man during their lives; however, our female protagonist, Kehinde, definitely rejects role of men in her life. She finds the “self” identity at the end by ignoring norms of polygamy and patriarchy. Actually, she doesn’t want to carry burden of Nigerian tradition anymore. She knows that she has own life to enjoy till the end. The female protagonist seems to have a better understanding of her freedom and “self” identity as a woman at the end.
Running Head: THE DESTRUCTIVE SIDE of POLYGAMY and PATRIARCHY on NIGERIAN WOMEN WORKS CITED Primary Source: Emechata, Buchi. Kehinde. Oxford, Heinemann, 1994, p.6, 140,141. Secondary Sources: Allanana, G. “ Patriarchy and Gender Inequality in Nigeria: The Way Forward .” European Scientific Journal, vol. 9, no. 17, June 2013, p. 2. Barkty, Sandra. Foucault, Femininity and the Modernization of Patriarchal Power. New York, OUP, 2010, p. 34. Beasly, C. What is feminism? : An introduction to Feminist Theory. London, Sage Publications 1999, p.10. Bowan, L. “ Polygamy and Patriarchy: An Intimate Look at Marriage in Ghana through a Human Rights Lens. ” Contemporary Journal of African Studies, vol. 1, no. 2, 2013, p. 50. Chapman, J. The feminist approach in the theories and methods in political science. London, Macmillan, 1995, p.98. Darko, D, and Tetteh, U. “ The Significance of the Theme of Marriage to Character Development in the Novels of Buchi Emecheta .” International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature, vol. 9, no. 11, November 2015, p. 53. Dogo, S. “ The Nigerian Patriarchy: When and How .” Cultural and Religious Studies, vol. 2, no. 5, October 2014, p.265. Eskridge, W.N. Equality Practice: Civil Unions and the Future of Gay Rights. New York, Routledge, 2002, p.131,132. James, Imaya. The Quest for Justice in Buchi Emecheta’s Fictional Works. 2002. University of Nairobi, MA Dissertation, p. 1.
