Ama Ata Aidoo Research Articles

Cross-Generational Sororities: Honouring the Feminist Legacy of Ama Ata Aidoo in Ayobami Adebayo’s Stay with Me (2017)

La escritora Ama Ata Aidoo se ha consolidado como una figura feminista muy homenajeada en el panorama literario africano. En sus obras de teatro, novelas y colecciones de relatos encontramos mujeres (auto) empoderadas, decididas e insumisas que se rebelan abiertamente contra ciertas formas de violencia patriarcal. El “feminismo transformador” (Arndt, 2002) de Aidoo también lidia con temas concomitantes a la cuestión femenina como son la construcción de la nación postcolonial, la transculturación o el nacionalismo. En este artículo, se pretende explorar cómo algunas de las obras más reconocidas de esta autora ghanesa han influido en la novela de la escritora nigeriana contemporánea Ayobami Adebayo Stay with Me (2017) y, más concretamente, centrado en uno de los temas más importantes en la literatura africana: la maternidad y la crianza. Para llevar a cabo esta tarea, se ha articulado el análisis de ambas autoras en base a la idea original de las “sororidades intergeneracionales,” término propuesto con el fin de examinar la influencia metácrona que esta autora feminista de referencia ha tenido en las generaciones contemporáneas de escritoras africanas que en sus obras tratan temas similares, y de explorar las estrategias empleadas para resistir la autoridad patriarcal a través del tiempo, fronteras, culturas e historias. El artículo concluye que Adebayo naturalmente se nutre de temáticas centrales discutidas en las obras de Aidoo, pero también se puede afirmar que la autora nigeriana actualiza algunos de los temas que vertebran los textos de su antecesora, en consecuencia apuntalando una nueva conciencia feminista africana

Flirtations with Eros from a Black-Eyed Squint: Romantic Love in the Oeuvre of Ama Ata Aidoo

ABSTRACT: What's love got to do with it? Everything—suggests Ama Ata Aidoo, whose oeuvre, virtually without exception, foregrounds romantic love as part of a woman's well-being, obstacles to which constitute a decidedly feminist concern. Throughout Aidoo's career, her fiction highlights romantic love as the human relationship that has the greatest potential to achieve social justice, since it often transgresses boundaries of ethnicity, race, class, and various social taboos. At a personal level, union through love represents a reconciliation of broader political differences. In this sense, as in a range of others to be considered, the personal is shown to be political. Romantic love in Aidoo's project, furthermore, has the catalytic potential to transform and bring into congruence disjunct social relations, which, in a postcolonial context, disproportionately impact the lives of African women. The earliest recognition of the significance of eros in Aidoo's meditation was an unconscious one, where she echoed the dominant assumption of the African literary scene at the time, which saw love as a trivial personal concern. In a provocative self-critique, Aidoo reverses her earlier position when she acknowledges her own preoccupation with love across her career. A careful study of Aidoo's work suggests, however, that despite its power, romantic love finally is beset by obstacles to its realization, which leave social barriers in place and patriarchal structures untransformed. This black-eyed squint clearly does not see the world through rose-tinted glasses.

Common sense, uncommon sense: Tejumola Olaniyan in the theorization of African postcolonial Drama

This paper engages Tejumola Olaniyan’s “Femi Osofisan: The Form of Uncommon Sense.” The essay in question undertakes a reading of a representative selection from the corpus of Femi Osofisan’s plays, employing the theory of uncommon sense which Olaniyan himself formulated. Olaniyan projects uncommon sense as a reflection on Antonio Gramsci’s theory of common sense put forward in his Selections from Prison Notes. He presents it as a new dimension of contemplation which explores new possibilities and unsettles old conclusions. To prove his position that Osofisan’s plays represent the form of uncommon sense, Olaniyan rifles through the playwright’s oeuvre and produces detailed readings of some of the works using the theory. I undertake three main tasks in this paper. First, I evaluate the accuracy of the positions taken by Olaniyan on some of the plays of Osofisan that he investigates using the theory of uncommon sense. Second, while affirming that uncommon sense as formulated by Olaniyan is seminal, I try to see whether it is not possible to re-constitute this principle around the notion of cultural hegemony that Gramsci is best known for. Finally, I attempt an application of the reconfigured theory in the analysis of Ama Ata Aidoo’s Anowa

A Bildungsroman in Ama Ata Aidoo’s Changes: A Love Story

Changes: A Love Story is a Bildungsroman novel written by Ama Ata Aidoo, and it was published in 1991. A Bildungsroman novel that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of Esi, the protagonist. The Changes: A Love Story follows the life of Esi Sekyi, a Morden Ghanaian woman who struggles to balance her career, marriage, and personal identity in society. Esi divorces her husband, Oko, because he raped her without her acknowledgement. Then Esi entered a polygamous marriage with Ali Kondey, he is a successful businessman. Then Esi soon realizes that her new marriage life does not give her freedom, happiness, or what she expected, and she also faces criticism and is kept apart from her family, friends, and society. Then she learns more about herself, her cultural values, and the value of her life. And it was published in the feminist press.

Interrogating the repressive voice of patriarchy: Analysis of Ama Ata Aidoo’s story, “The Girl Who Can”

Interrogating the repressive voice of patriarchy: Analysis of Ama Ata Aidoo’s story, “The Girl Who Can”

Of Bonds and Commitment: In Memoriam Ama Ata Aidoo

Of Bonds and Commitment: In Memoriam Ama Ata Aidoo

Ama Ata Aidoo Challenged the Constructed Absence of African Women’s Leadership

Ama Ata Aidoo Challenged the Constructed Absence of African Women’s Leadership

``Who Says We Shall Not'': Revealing Artistic and Cultural Resilience in Times of a Global Pandemic

Ama Ata Aidoo famously stated, “Who says we shall not survive among these turbines?” (c 1964 – 1965). This paper looks at revealing artistic and cultural resilience in times of global pandemics. In what ways could our much-needed return to indigenous ways of social, cultural and ecological engagement with the environment initiate sustainable practices? In this paper, I focus on a diversity of contemporary art concerns, allied practices that anticipate emergent formats, media, transformative futures, and translation configurations. I make recourse to collaborations that bring resilience, such as Gudskul ( Jakarta) and blaxTARLINES KUMASI. Through a critical reading of the innovative approaches to cultural resilience in art, this study is built on the lessons we can garner from the sort of resilience that characterizes such audacious projects embarked on by extremophile collectives such as blaxTARLINES and Gudskul. A model is developed as a guide to acquainting ourselves with strategies that would provoke us to a more responsible practice and existence. Art can be more resilient and reach contested spaces if we think of synergies and inclusivity.
 Keywords: resilience, contemporary art, pandemic, sustainable practices

In Solidarity With Home: Transculturation as a Reconciliation of African Ethnic Binarism in Ama Ata Aidoo’s The Dilemma of a Ghost

This article examines African binarism in Ama Ata Aidoo’s play, The Dilemma of a Ghost. The concept of binarism encompasses the nostalgic predilection for the homeland yet, the preconception of home depends on the way in which colonial hegemony appears. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to shed light on the latent circumstances which project onto this play, the inherent impetus of this binarism. The focus will be on Aidoo’s conceptualization of the African diaspora and how it has affected the cultural aspects of the Africans’ ways of life. To analyze these cultural issues, the methodology of this study utilizes the concept of transculturation. In essence, the concept of transculturation emphasizes a mix of two discrepant cultures. These cultures are different from each other yet similar in their sense of belonging to the homeland. This sense of belonging forges the reconciliation of two opposite ethnic races that belong to the same culture. As such, the study highlights the African diaspora depicted in The Dilemma of a Ghost as the primal cause of this transculturation. Consequently, it explores the African diaspora that resulted from forced migration imposed upon diverse national ethnicities that chose to live together in one place - They mingle with each other in the host country, which exemplifies an utterly different cultural facet. To cope with cultural differences, they co-exist with each other by dint of transculturation.

GENDER IN WOMEN’S WRITING: RESTORING THE WOMAN IN AMA ATA AIDOO’S CHANGES: A LOVE STORY AND PEGGY OPPONG’S THE LEMON SUITCASE

Purpose –– This study investigates genderism in Ghanaian women’s writing with women’s empowerment as the centre of interest in Ama Ata Aidoo’s Changes: A Love Story (1991) and Peggy Oppong’s The Lemon Suitcase (2010) Methods –– The study adopts a textual analysis of the novels under study and the authors’ novels as controversial works which promote the ideals of the feminist movement in Africa by presenting issues that address nuances in gender roles and social constraints. Findings –– The findings unveil the progression of female roles over the period in the male-dominated Ghanaian society. Also, this study contributes to debates on feminism in Africa as well as promotes gender equity and women’s empowerment through education. Conclusion & Recommendation –– The study presented the representation of the female figures in a patriarchal Ghanaian society. It sought to empower women as leaders in their contributions to the society. There is more room for improvement in spite of the career progression women have achieved. Keywords –– Feminism, The Lemon Suitcase, Sustainable Development, Genderism, Empowerment

In search of a post-transatlantic slave trade dwelling and conviviality: rethinking Ghana’s ‘Year of Return’ with Ama Ata Aidoo’s The Dilemma of a Ghost (1965)

Drawing on hooks’ notion of ‘homeplace’, Ahmed’s theorisation of ‘strange encounter,’ and Sharpe’s rumination on Black being ‘in the wake’ or afterlife of slavery, this paper reflects on how Aidoo’s The Dilemma of a Ghost can help examine the ‘Year of Return’ project in terms of dwelling. The paper argues that Aidoo’s play proffers a pedagogy of intercultural communication and a radical deconstruction of home and kinship. By noting Aidoo’s emphasis on intercultural communication, home, and dwelling, the paper demonstrates how the ‘Year of Return’ can be conceptually enriched and pragmatically organised in ways that seriously consider Aidoo’s ethic of dwelling. The paper is, therefore, a corrective to the overemphasis in the ‘Year of Return’ celebrations on trade, capital, and investment. Finally, the paper sheds light on the relationship between literature and society.

Representations of “The New Woman” in Changes and Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo

This study explores the representations of “the new woman” in selected works by Ama Ata Aidoo, namely: Changes (1993), Our Sister Killjoy (1977), and Girl Who Can and Other Stories (1997). Ama Ata Aidoo addresses the conditions and needs of continental African women (African women who reside on the African continent) and points out key issues relating to discrimination and exclusion on the basis of sex and gender objectification, structural and economic inequality, power and oppression and gender roles and stereotypes. It reviews several studies carried out on works by Ama Ata Aidoo thus providing this study with the privilege of filling the gaps that were not addressed. It is finally noted that Aidoo does not agree with the view that the success of a woman should be gauged by her ability to get married and have children as emphasised by African tradition. To her, the success of women does not lie in their ability to reproduce but rather in becoming productive in other aspects that benefit humanity and promote the independence and progress of a nation. Aidoo clearly implies that for any nation to develop effectively the role of a woman must not be ignored. A woman has to join hands with the man in order to see a better nation, it should however be noted that the position of a woman in the contemporary world is still a hustle since it is proven through all the new woman characters that it is hard for women to live as single or divorced without enigma from the society

Africana Womanist Perspectives in the Selected Works of African Women Novelists/Writers

The issue of women subjugation in the social, cultural, political and economic space has been and still is a very active debate. Flora Nwapa in her novel Efuru, stresses on the dichotomies of marital subjugation. Ama Ata Aidoo, Buchi Emecheta and Ama Darko in their respective novels, Changes, Second Class Citizen and Beyond the Horizon, respectively, present these very challenges of women in marriages and the professional/work space. As such this paper takes a look at the subjugation of women in marriages and professional/work space, using the already mentioned writers and their respective novels. The discussion will be done against the backdrop of Clenora Hudson-Weems theory of Africana Womanism where she highlights the most salient tenets and attributes of Africana Womanism thus centering on, self-naming, motherhood and recognition and flexibility. Following from the study, it is conspicuous that the fight for women liberation (Hudson-Weems, 1993) in marriages and the professional work space are ancient challenges that continue to journey with the female gender. If given good education and the chance to own their world, the African woman can change the world together with her counterpart which is the call of all these women writers.

Seeking the Root and Accepting Branches : the Conflicts and Dilemmas in Ama Ata Aidoo’s Dilemma of a Ghost

Since the middle of the 20th century, the continent of Africa has greeted many “returnees,” the diasporic descendants who moved in or visited in search of their “root.” As the number of returnees increased, marriages between Ghanaians and immigrants increased as well. The Dilemma of a Ghost (1965), written by Ama Ata Aidoo from Ghana, presents one of the rather unsuccessful marriages between a Ghanaian man and an African American woman. This paper analyzes Aidoo’s text based on the social and cultural understanding of Ghanaian society in the 1960s. I draw on early and later writings of W. E. B DuBois’s writing to bring in critical perspectives. Showing how Ato, Eulalie, and Ato’s family deal with the conflicts, Aidoo questions the conceptual “root” of the returnees and the dilemma of both Ghanaians and the diasporic Blacks. Through the portrayal of Ato and Eulalie’s failure to settle in, the play spotlights the easily neglected gap between Africans and diasporic Africans under the vague cover of Black solidarity; further, it suggests a potential solution by letting the uneducated, indigenous, and feminine rather than the empowered masculine elite offer hope by facing and embracing the problems.

A Thematic Reading of C. Ama Ata Aidoo’s “Certain Winds from the South”

Christina Ama Ata Aidoo’s short story “Certain Winds from the South” deals with a community that is victim of both colonisation and World War II, as African nations witnessed both of them between the late eighteenth century and the mid twentieth century. This paper aims at shedding light on the varied themes that Aidoo dealt with in her short story. She focuses on the impact of the colonist and highlights a community that is dismantled in the period of post-war. Her characters struggle hard to survive and are obliged to take decisions that do not necessarily suit them. Indeed, African nations do share this in common, as they have a common past of torture and destruction. Colonisation left these nations in a state of utter despair, and survival was not an easy task and is still not, even after 60 years of independence for some. The south in “Certain Winds from the South” stands both for hope and despair in this Ghanaian community. Résumé : La nouvelle de Christina Ama Ata Aidoo «Certain Winds from the South» traite d'une communauté victime à la fois de la colonisation et de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, dont les nations africaines en ont été victimes entre la fin du XVIIIe siècle et le milieu du XXe siècle. Cet article vise les différents thèmes traités par Aidoo dans sa nouvelle. Cette dernière cible l'impact du colon et met en lumière une communauté qui est démantelée dans la période d'après-guerre. Ses personnages peinent à survivre et sont obligés de prendre des décisions qui ne leur conviennent pas forcément. En effet, les nations africaines partagent cela en commun, car elles ont un passé commun de torture et de destruction. La colonisation a laissé ces nations dans un état de désespoir total, et la survie n'était pas une tâche facile et ne l'est toujours pas, même après 60 ans d'indépendance pour certains. Le sud dans «Certain Winds from the South» représente à la fois l'espoir et le désespoir dans cette communauté ghanéenne.

Comparative Study of New Woman in Manju Kapur's "Difficult Daughters" and Ama Ata Aidoo's "Changes: A Love Story":

Comparative Study of New Woman in Manju Kapur's "Difficult Daughters" and Ama Ata Aidoo's "Changes: A Love Story":

Comparative Study of New Woman in Manju Kapur's "Difficult Daughters" and Ama Ata Aidoo's "Changes: A Love Story":

Comparative Study of New Woman in Manju Kapur's "Difficult Daughters" and Ama Ata Aidoo's "Changes: A Love Story":

The Conflict between Traditional and Western Cultures: A Comparative Study of Wole Soyinka’s ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’ and Ama Ata Aidoo’s ‘Dilemma of a Ghost’

Conflict, a general phenomenon, exists in everyday life. It has different intrapersonal aspects (thus conflict within a person). There is also a kind of conflict that exists between two people or two groups of people. This is interpersonal conflict. It can be between a person and technology or between ideas. Conflict has been defined as a disagreement or clash between people, ideas, or cultures. Therefore, culture becomes a unique and sentimental phenomenon that is not only cherished but also protected dearly by individuals as well. Thus, literature has become one of the means through which cultural sentiments are projected and expressed. For a long time, Africans have been subjected to cultural imposition and displacement of Western culture. This paper aims to examine the theory that considers the superiority of westernization. This study adopts the sociological theory by focusing on Soyinka's Death and the King’s Horseman and Ama Ata Aidoo’s Dilemma of Ghost. Our decision to select these two texts is informed by the several instances of conflict portrayed in the two texts. The discussion focused on societal norms and belief systems, psychological and generational gap conflicts.

Caught in Transition: Ama Ata Aidoo's Search for a New Ghanaian Woman

This paper brings out the Womanist perspective in Aidoo’s No Sweetness Here and Other Stories. The term ‘Womanism' encapsulates the varied dynamics of the black woman's literary experience as it distinguishes itself from the feminism of the White Woman. The predicament of women in postcolonial Ghana is the focus of Aidoo’s attention. Aidoo’s vision is historical, also. In her short stories, she explores the challenges faced by women in post-independence Ghana. In the period of transition, the African woman's identity is brought into conflict with traditions and cultural modernization. Aidoo’s predominant concern is to reflect on women’s increasing alienation in contemporary African society with the help of tradition and modernity. In Aidoo’s vision, Africa’s progress is inseparable from the social, economic,political and psychological liberation of women. No Sweetness Here and Other Stories attempts to make African women aware of their agency, which is the first step towards their liberation.

Polygamy is an Affront to Romantic Relationship: A Critical Analysis in Mariama Ba'S So Long a Letter and Ama Ata Aidoo’s Changes.

Studies show that majority of African men engage in polygamous marriages, where the men marry more than one wife. Mariama Ba's So Long a Letter and Ama Ata Aidoo's Changes are two texts that portray polygamy as an affront to romantic love. The present study seeks to highlight the various constructions of polygamy in the texts and to showcase how polygamy deprives women of romantic love and critique its effects on the lives of characters in the texts. This study, therefore, is worth examining to shed a light of the social ills of polygamy in the society today. The study is a qualitative one, it employs textual and critical analysis to analyse the texts. The analysis indicates that polygamous marriages do not guarantee healthy relationship between spouses, men use polygamy to subject women to inferior positions, women in polygamous marriages are depressed, lonely and are also deprived of joy and love and there is also disintegration between the children in polygamous homes. The study adopts polygamy as the main theoretical framework in theorizing the work. Findings of the study have implications for scholars and society to reorient their minds about polygamous marriages.