Gender-inclusive Language and Female Assertive Idiolects in Sefi Atta’s Everything Good Will Come: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal

Abstract

This paper looks into the language of Sefi Atta’s Everything Good Will Come from a sociolinguistic perspective. It aims at pointing out instances of gender inclusive language and assertive idiolects from female characters. In actual fact, most of the earlier literary productions, as argued by a few scholars (Ojo-Ade, 1983; Fonchingong, 2006 and Koussouhon 2009), have come to display features of sexist language with docile female characters in subservient positions. This investigation is carried out under the scope of inclusive language and female assertiveness, as advocated by feminists and exponents of language equity. It has basically consisted in identifying and analyzing passages of the novel in which instances of inclusive language and assertive from female characters are noticeable. The findings reveal that Sefi Atta avoids using male-dominating/sexist language and draws on inclusive idiolects to collectively refer to both male and female characters. Moreover, she portrays her female characters as most assertive as possible. This is why the work concludes that Sefi Atta, like other feminist writers, espouses the women emancipation cause.