Self-Assertion as a Variant of Ego in Razinat T. Mohammed’s the Travails of a First Wife

Abstract

The literary world has accorded writers the opportunity to express their selves without reservations and to share feelings and dreams. Several scholars have decried violence against women and the misrepresentation of women mainly by male literary authors. However less attention has been given to the portrayal of female ego as a positive tool for self-assertion in African literature, especially Nigerian literary works. This paper viewed ego positively in the works of contemporary female works. The research used Freudian theory and African womanism to establish the existence of female ego. Using Razinat T. Muhammed’s The Travails of a First Wife, this researcher did a critical literary analysis. The theories helped to understand the emotions and motives for such ego exhibitions by the characters. Findings showed that, the state of being a woman is a notion the woman is proud and wiling to defend. The paper concluded that the ego of the woman is in identifying herself as a woman who is strong and able to carry the burdens of others.