“Herstory” versus “history”: A motherist rememory in Akachi Ezeigbo’s The Last of the Strong Ones and Chimamanda Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun

Eyoh Etim

doi:10.1080/23311983.2020.1728999

Abstract

This paper presents the counter-historical narratives in Ezeigbo’s The Last of the Strong Ones and Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, which are set against the more traditional and authoritative narra...

Highlights

It is common knowledge in feminist criticism that the art of writing began as exclusively a male preserve in the western world, and in Africa
The paper asserts that the task of the Nigerian female writer is to re-imagine history in such a way as to highlight the invaluable role Nigerian women have played in the development and survival of their society
“his-story” and “her-story” will survive into the humanity’s collective textuality so that subsequent generations like ours could learn how “religion and ethnicity have emerged as constantly used elements in fueling crisis in Nigeria” (Gwamna, 2014, p. 1), how ‘so pervasive is the military influence that whatever happens in the political arena, reverberates in the military domain (Frank, 2009, p. 111) and how we are all victims of our greed and poor understanding of our human nature and history

Summary

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

Akachi Ezeigbo and Chimamanda Adichie in The Last of the Strong Ones and Half of a Yellow Sun, respectively, revisit history to reinterpret the role of women in colonial and postcolonial African societies. This paper is a contribution to the ongoing discourse on the reevaluation of the woman as an active character in a constantly evolving story of humanity, against the dominant male discourses which tend to play down on women’s contributions in society in order to justify their current oppressed positions. Contemporary women who read this paper are likely to derive historical motivation to rise above their societally structured limitations to realise their dreams even in a male-dominated milieu. Subjects: Literature; Post-Colonial Studies; Women; s Literature; Feminist Literature & Theory; Literary/Critical Theory

Introduction

Conclusion