FEMALE RESISTANCE TO PATRIARCHAL TYRANNY IN ASIKA IKECHUKWU’S TAMARA AND CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS

Iloanwusi, Vitalis Chinemerem and Obasikene, John (2025) FEMALE RESISTANCE TO PATRIARCHAL TYRANNY IN ASIKA IKECHUKWU’S TAMARA AND CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS. Advance Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, 8 (4). pp. 191-201.

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Abstract

This study presents a comparative literary analysis of Tamara by Asika Ikechukwu and Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, focusing on the theme of female resistance to patriarchal tyranny within postcolonial Nigerian society. Anchored in feminist and postcolonial theoretical frameworks, the paper explores how the protagonists, Tamara and Kambili, confront emotional repression, religious extremism, gender-based violence, and moral hypocrisy in their respective homes. While both characters live under the control of authoritarian fathers, their responses to oppression diverge sharply—Tamara’s rebellion ends in tragedy and silence, whereas Kambili’s is nurtured by community and culminates in voice and agency. The study analyzes narrative techniques, particularly the epistolary form in Tamara and the retrospective narration in Purple Hibiscus, as symbolic devices that reflect the protagonists' psychological states and degrees of empowerment. Through a close reading of thematic concerns such as sexuality, religion, maternal influence, and cultural morality, the study highlights the broader social commentary embedded in both novels. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of supportive environments, mentorship, and storytelling in shaping resistance, and advocates for the inclusion of such texts in gender and literary discourses to challenge entrenched patriarchal norms and foster cultural transformation.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: A General Works > AS Academies and learned societies (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Management and Social Sciences
Depositing User: Uchenna Eneogwe
Date Deposited: 25 Aug 2025 10:15
Last Modified: 25 Aug 2025 10:15
URI: http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/5254

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