Tracing the Evolution of the Roles of Female Characters in Selected Works of Chinua Achebe

Abstract

Recognized as the founding father of modern African Literature in English, Achebe stands out as perhaps one of the most critiqued authors due to his portrayal of women in his early novels. In an attempt to respond to the disparaging representation of Africa in colonial novels such as Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1899), Achebe focused on portraying the power and charisma of the African male; the adverse effect of this being weak submissive women who succumbed to these powerful men. This study will look at the representation of women in three selected novels of Achebe, namely Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease and Anthills of the Savannah. The main objective is to trace the evolution of the female characters from one novel to the other and investigate what accounts for the eventual shift from minimal roles of women in novels such as Things Fall Apart to central roles in Anthills of the Savannah. Theoretical analysis of these novels will be done from the perspective of Postcolonial Feminist Theory. The theory best fits this study because Postcolonial feminists concern themselves with the effect of patriarchy and colonization on women, and seek to correct the misrepresentation of women by the male authors.