Abstract
This article critically examines how Chinua Achebe, one of the foremost and prolific Nigerian novelist, portrayed his female characters in his novels- Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, and Anthills of the Savannah. However, the objective of this essay will focus on the character of Beatrice in the novel “Anthills of the Savannah.” In Anthills of the Savannah, Achebe breaks the male superiority tradition with a comprehensive portrayal of his female protagonist Beatrice, who is not subservient, weak or tossed by the whims and caprices of men in a traditional patriarchal society. In the book, we are presented with strong, bold, determined and remarkable female characters who stir the ships of their lives, going against expected societal norms and socio-cultural expectations, taking bold, and unconventional actions despite the challenges and hardship they face as members of a regimented and patriarchal society. In this regard, feminist criticism will be used as a critical theory for the analysis of the novels. Moreover, this research will among other things explore feminism, patriarchy, tradition, culture and themes in the novels.
Keywords: Achebe, Patriarchy, Feminism, Tradition, Character, Beatrice, Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God and Anthills of the Savannah
Introduction:
Chinua Achebe falls within the class of the first generation of Nigerian writers whom critics have accused of undermining the image and role of women in the society. But how true is this? However, this accusation was informed by the way he portrayed the female characters in his earliest novels. The advent of the 20th century saw the emergence of modern African literature, a phenomenon dominated by male writers like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Cyprian Ekwensi, Elechi Amadi, Ngugi wa Thiongo among others who were the flag bearers of the African literary tradition. In the African Traditional setting, these writers depicted women as silent and submissive in nature while power and privilege were given to men.
Contrary to this view, it is important to know that Achebe and his contemporaries were reflecting the realities of the pre-colonial and colonial period, part of this reality is that in the past, women were placed in an inferior position.
The traditional status of African women is shown in Chinua Achebe’s novels Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God where he portrayed his female characters as kitchen wives and mythic goddesses. Meanwhile, in order to further determine Achebe’s perception of his female characters in Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, and Anthills of the Savannah, it is pertinent to x-ray the theoretical exegesis of feminist criticism because of its commitment to voicing out the discrimination, subjugation, exploitation, and violence against women. Lois Tyson in her book, Critical Theory Today, writes that: “feminist criticism examines the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social and psychological oppression of women” (83). Similarly, Akachi Ezeigbo in an interview with Chuks Oluigbo explains that: “feminism is actually a principle that posits that women should be given equal rights with men. It demands a kind of emancipation, empowerment for women.” (191) She further contends that “feminism is a wide ideology. It is culture-based. It has its own agenda depending on where it is coming from” (191). For this reason she espouses her own brand of feminism that suits her culture which she called Indigenous Snail Sense Feminism. It is instructive to note that American or European feminism differs from African feminism, or a feminist in Islam or a feminist in Asia. However, the idea of feminism as a literary discourse or theory that has put women question on the front burner cannot be overlooked or trivialized. Hence, Rose Acholonu in her perspective essay “Women in the African novel and the Quest for Human Rights” argues that the principle which regulates the existing social relations between the two sexes is the legal subordination of one sex to the other” (132). She further opines that “it is wrong in itself and now one of the chiefest (SIC) hindrances to human improvement. It ought to be replaced by a principled of perfect equality, admitting no power or privilege on the one side…” (132).
In the light of the above views, it is apposite to say that feminist criticism gives vent/ voice to the plight of women and girl child long neglected, oppressed and subjugated in a male dominated society. It is therefore significant to note that the application of feminist criticism among many other theories, contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the writer and the reader, the personality and culture of the writer as well as the literary texts, which are about human behaviour.
Achebe’s novels, Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God, explore the historical and mythical image of the African women. The settings of both novels are located in the rural community. All the characters are village dwellers except the White men and the missionaries that came to Umuofia and Umuaro respectively. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart published in 1958 was set before the advent of colonialism in fictional Igbo community Umuofia where the institution of Igbo culture was highly sacred. Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is deeply Igbo in theme, semantics, style and aesthetics in language. It has been seen as the archetypal modern African novel in English language to tell the story of Okonkwo, Umuofia and the influence of British colonialism and Christian missionaries on the Igbo community during the late nineteenth century.
Okonkwo, the protagonist of Things Fall Apart is a community leader and a local wrestling champion in Umuofia. He is rich, hardworking and well respected in Umuofia community but lacks the quality of a good husband because of his anger and hot temper.
Achebe places the character of Okonkwo as one who never showed emotion openly unless if it is an emotion of anger. For Okonkwo, “to show affection was a sign of weakness” and the only thing worthy of demonstration is strength. This is where Okonkwo got it wrong, especially in his relationship with his wife and children. During the peacetime in Umuofia, Okonkwo beats his youngest wife Orji-ugo who went to plait her hair at her friend’s house and did not return early enough to cook the afternoon meal. Here, Achebe says “And when she returned, he beats her heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the week of peace” (21). In Okonkwo’s household, his wives and children live in fear, timidity and reticence. The harsh attitude of Okonkwo and the culture and tradition of Umuofia never allowed a woman to contribute to some important issues in Umuofia. Thus, some of the female characters in the novel were regarded as kitchen wives “who served food and drinks as men discussed important issues.” It is only Chinelo the priestess who Achebe gave power, privilege and a mythical essence in the novel. She is a symbol of the goddess of Ala, the fruitful goddess. All other women are portrayed to be silent and submissive. Furthermore, we observed that in Umuofia community, women only cultivate female crops like cocoa yam, maize, melon etc and were not allowed to cultivate yam- the king of all crops. This clearly underscores the fact that Achebe places women especially his female characters to play a subordinate role in the society rather than recognizing them as partners in human, social, and political development in the society.
Arrow of God, Achebe’s third novel (1964) is a political and cultural novel set in Nigeria in the early twentieth century when European colonization was sweeping through Africa. Ezeulu, the main character, is the chief priest of Ulu, a god created by the people almost a century before when the six villages of Umuaro united to withstand the Abam slave raider. As chief priest of Ulu, Ezeulu is responsible for safeguarding the traditions and rituals of the people. For example, Ezeulu watches each month for the new moon. He eats a sacred yam and beats the Ogene to mark the beginning of each new month. Achebe’s novel Arrow of God is a reflection of the myths and deeds of women of Umuaro and Okperi as spiritual figures. Achebe presents us a deity in Okperi called Nwanyieke. She is an old woman whose strength, might and origin is mysterious: Every Eke day before cock-crow, she appears in the market place with a broom in her right hand and dances round the vast open space beckoning with her broom in all directions of the earth and drawing folk from every land. (19)
Furthermore, Achebe tells us in Arrow of God that “the old woman of the market has swept the world with her broom, even the land of the Whiteman where they say the sun never shines.” (19).
From this, it is significant to know that the mythic image of women in Achebe’s Arrow of God debunks the common belief that women in Achebe’s novels were not revered and respected in African society. In Arrow of God, women are not only positioned to build the home, but are made to be important links in family genealogy. By the virtue of the insight of the mythic roles and spiritual essence of women in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God, it is, therefore, important to know that the ritual role of women in traditional African society is very symbolic and significant.
Reflecting on the plight of women in Nigerian fiction, Nnolim locates women’s unhappiness and subjugation within some oppressive myths and beliefs in the Nigerian society. According to him, the belief in some oppressive myths and high regards for them in traditional African society makes it difficult for women to secure happiness and the desired psychological and emotional freedom. (20) He traces myths in traditional African societies, which cast the image of a woman in a bad light.
What interests readers in Achebe’s Arrow of God is the presentation of women as mythical figures capable of protecting the land. Achebe also deployed mythical stories to illustrate the roles of Umuaro women in the affairs of the communities. In-spite of the unequivocal celebration of the mythical essence of women in Umuaro, there are other instance of negative depiction of women in Achebe’s Arrow of God. In Arrow of God, one may notice that Akuebue’s customary response when asked about his family is, they are quiet. This signifies that women are depicted as passive and docile. Female oppression cannot be ruled out in any patriarchal society. Thus, Okonkwo and Ezeulu represent male chauvinists. Chinua Achebe describes Ezeulu as an old dignified egocentric chief priest of Ulu whose words are revered in his household and Umuaro community at large.
Achebe portrayed Ezeulu as a man of action in his relationship with his wives. Ezeulu said to one of his wives “what I am saying is that if you want the madness of yours to be cured, bring my supper at this time another day… (9). This clearly shows how the author has convincingly reflected patriarchy in the African traditional society, where the man is regarded as ‘lord’ over his household. In another instance, Ezeulu is portrayed as one who has the final say in his household and as well as in Umuaro community. Ezeulu wants to send his son to the church in order to make him learn the ways of the Whiteman. When his wife tried to reason with him, Ezeulu was impartial with her: “How does it concern you what I do with my son?” (49)
This suggests Ezeulu’s own attitude towards his wives. It is important to note that Ezeulu’s intelligence, the profundity of his knowledge of affairs intoxicates him. It is therefore significant to note that both Okonkwo and Ezeulu are representatives of patriarchy in the novels.
Jasper Onuekwusi has identified Arrow of God as Achebe’s “most profound and complex novel.” (44) This is because Arrow of God explores governance, democracy, dictatorship, and despotism. The story of Ezeulu, who even from the beginning of his tenure began to romance with the idea of being a dictator, is very illustrative of the contemporary leaders of Nigeria. Achebe’s female characters are also portrayed to be dependent of their husband. For instance, one of Ezeulu’s wives who had seen the emptiness of life in the absence of Ezeulu had cried: “Let my husband hate me as long as he provides yams for me every afternoon”. In addition, Achebe’s female characters are portrayed to be weak and submissive. The incident between Ojiugo and Oduche at the stream is very illustrative. Oduche’s “fiery slaps and a final, vicious blow with his knee on Ojiugo’s belly” (127) is considered as violence against women. Also, Akueke, one of the characters in the novel, comes home to say that her husband has beaten her: “One early morning she comes again with her face all swollen” (11)
This clearly underscores that in Achebe’s Arrow of God and Things fall Apart, female characters who are not privileged to be in the position of power are regarded as silent and docile house wives; except those trusted with the spiritual power and privilege. Emmanuel Inedu observes that “women are treated as victims of oppression” (125), the same way Charlse Korie argues that the “fate of a woman is made worse by insensitive culture and tradition” (73) which downgrades the personality of the African woman.
Achebe’s adequate attention to women in his novels especially in Anthills of the Savanna is very significant and symbolic. This is because he created an educated feminist character Beatrice who strives for self-actualization and individuality right from a young age. Beatrice, the sixth girl in her family, was born when the mother expected a baby boy which was a societal expectation. She was therefore called “Nwanyi-buife” (a woman is something) a name she detested and rebuffed even from a young age. As she puts it: “…they had given me another name at my baptism, Nwanyi-buife—a female is something. Can you beat that? Even as a child I dislike the name most intensely… (87)
Beatrice is presented to us as the heroine of the novel— Anthills in Savannah. She is blessed with the qualities of kindness, care, peace, and to crown it all, beauty. In Anthills of the Savannah, Achebe provides another version of educated and unmarried “miss” through the character of Beatrice Okoh. Achebe creates Beatrice, a feminist character who is well educated, dignified, intelligent and well respected by men. She is the senior assistant secretary in the Ministry of Finance. She is portrayed in the novel as a strong, independent minded and politically empowered Nigerian woman. However, Igbokwe observes that: “Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah is a far cry from what has been the status-quo in male authored works.” (27) The position of Beatrice within this “new” breed of educated and independent Nigerian women affirms the moral strength and intellectual integrity of African woman. In that novel, Achebe seeks to demonstrate that Nigerian women are capable of escaping the subordinate roles prescribed to them by tradition and culture.
In a similar vein, Sulie Agbasiere claims that though Achebe’s previous novels have presented masculine dominated societies, these societies still provide a place for women. She points out that in Anthills Of the Savannah, such elements of patriarchy have been tampered and Beatrice is created as an empowered woman. In Anthills of the Savannah, “the woman is dignified and free to live her life the way she wants… the more educated she is, the more her prestige rises, and the more she is a good candidate for the governance of the community.” (364) The character of the educated ‘miss’ introduces the reader to the Nigerian woman who is capable of social and economic independence. Beatrice is a woman who has an honours degree from Queen Mary College, University of London. She is a unique character, and seems to draw her strength from all sources. Beatrice is portrayed as a symbolic character. She gives Ikem insight into the feminist concept of womanhood. She is articulate, independent and self-realized… In Anthills of the Savannah, Beatrice is conceived of in terms of the Idemili myth. It is significant to know that Achebe draws from the powerful myth of the daughter of the almighty Idemili, to create Beatrice. In this regard, Diala cites Catherine Bicknell to note that the basic consequence of this mythologizing is the idealization of women… (1)
The point, however, is that womanhood especially as it is epitomized in Beatrice is capable of asserting herself in a male-dominated society. The projection of the character of Beatrice as a powerful compelling voice in the novel is wholly new and refreshing in Achebe’s novels. This is because many feminist writers have accused Achebe as a foe of feminists in his novel Things fall Apart and Arrow of God. This accusation was informed by the way he presented the female characters in his first two novels as kitchen wives, silent and submissive. Achebe portrays his female characters in Things fall Apart and Arrow of God as victims and the male counterpart as heroes. In both novels, wealth, critical decision and ownership of land are male attributes while women are depicted as passive. In Things fall Apart, Okonkwo beats his wives at the slightest provocation while in Arrow of God, Akuebue’s customary response when asked his family is, they are quiet. The female characters in Achebe’s Things fall Apart and Arrow of God are potrayed to be docile, lacking initiatives and regarded as a quiet member of the household. She is only to bear children, unfulfilled if she does not, and handicapped if she bears only daughter. This is well portrayed in the character of Matefi, Ugoye and Akuebue in Arrow of God. Likewise Ojiugo and Ekwefi in Things fall Apart.
This traditional image of women as portrayed by Achebe in his novels- Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God, places the women as dependent, gullible and voiceless. However, what Achebe did in Things fall Apart and Arrow of God is to simply present women in the way they are and accepted by his traditional Igbo society.
Beyond all of these, Achebe in Anthills in Savannah has redeemed the negative portrayal of women as silent, passive and kitchen wives through the character of Beatrice who leads the change forcing others to adapt what is present. Also, Achebe employs the character of Beatrice as an educated African woman who takes active part in political and social affairs to restore the position of women in African society.
Caroline Mbonu contends that through a liberating rereading of the novel- Anthills of the Savannah, it is clear that Achebe constructs a positive female model in Anthills of the Savannah. In this way, It could be said that Anthills is a political allegory calling for government responsibility, critiquing corruption within the current system, and offering women as the idealistic resolution to the problems of an exclusive, oppressive political and social structure. Achebe’s progress regarding Beatrice’s character is better hope for other women to aspire for greater heights. By developing her character to create a space for the voices and perspectives of all citizens regardless of gender and class is very insightful.
It is important to note that Beatrice in Anthills of the Savannah projects the new vision of women’s role in Nigerian society. Beatrice empathically claims that every woman wants a man to complete her is a piece of male chauvinist bullshit, I had completely rejected before I know there was anything like women’s liberation. (80-81)
By employing first person narration with the educated “miss” character, Achebe further empowers the voice of the Nigerian woman. It is evidently clear that in Anthills of Savannah, Achebe uses Ikem to show how he feels about their plight. He sympathizes with women by “exploring the origin of their oppression and says it was based on crude denigration.” (97)
Furthermore, Achebe deployed Ikem, one of the characters in the novel- Anthills of the Savannah to advance his argument on women oppression thus;
The women are, of course, the biggest single group of oppressed people in the world and, if we are to believe the book of Genesis, the very oldest…(98)
The above excerpt is not only the genesis of women oppression but is also the genesis of patriarchal stronghold that put women at the receiving end. Little wonder, women’s unfortunate situation is depicted when Achebe states that: “she caused men to fall. So she became a scapegoat. No, not a scapegoat, of which might be blameless but a culprit deserving of whatever suffering man chose to heap on her”. (97)
From this stand point, it is obvious that women were meant to suffer for action which was mythically assigned to them. Achebe sees “women as the largest group of oppressed people in the world.’’ (98) This is the bane of feminism. Helen Chukwu reiterates in “Positivism and the Female Crisis: The novel of Buchi Emecheta” when she declared that: The bane of feminism is equation with acculturation, its reflection of one’s own way of life, tested and traditionally sanction over time. (4)
The bane of feminism must be seen in the obvious handicaps of being female in a male dominated society and the second-class status this bestows.
Anthills of the Savannah is very significant. Achebe portrays the significance of Beatrice’s character as an educated, unmarried, and innovative woman. Rose Acholonu compares Anthills in Savannah to Achebe’s previous novels, arguing that Beatrice is the culmination of an evolution in his female characters. She contends that Achebe’s goal with Beatrice is to develop a woman who does not meet society’s norms for women: Achebe’s woman… could wield the power of sustaining peace, common sense, and humanism in a world threatened by the tyrannical rule of a despot and the untendered fanaticism of egocentric, revolutionary ideas” (320).
Metaphorically, Beatrice represents Kangan’s idea future; she must compete with Sam, another male character in the novel, who serves as a symbol of Kangan’s corrupt social and political system. Beatrice had consciously represented a contemporary change in the roles of Kangan women through her campaign for women support and liberation. Achebe tells us that Beatrice is beautiful but not flamboyant. He shows the relationship among Chris, Ikem and Sam on one hand and that of Chris and Beatrice, Ikem and Elewa on the other. The relationship between Chris and Beatrice and that of Ikem and Elewa is quite significant. Perhaps Achebe is telling us that love breaks all barriers, class, educational differences, tribe and ethnicity. Despite the fact that Beatrice is Chris’ girlfriend, Major Sam would want to sleep with her. Beatrice would not succumb to his advances. However, the turning point in the novel is Ikem’s realization about his prior mistakes regarding women.
Though he had promoted liberal philosophy and attitude towards women, even writing rather a reverently of the women’s uprising of 1929, Beatrice repeatedly had accused him of having “no clear role for women in his political thinking.” (83) The problem, he comes to realize in the course of the story stems from his discovery of inherent sexism within African culture. He realizes that, though there is no eve parable as in western myth, the sanctification of women through the idea of a supreme mother, one who is somehow revered, also functions as an attempt to separate women from matters of everyday life. The truth, he argues is necessarily essential, “there is no universal conglomerate of the oppressed” (90)
Ikem is one of the male characters in the novel who comes to a greater understanding about the fate of Africa. Thus he says: “Society is an extension of the individual psyche; the best is to reform it. No responsible psychoanalyst would aim to do more” (91). It is significant to know that the African sexism deserves an African response- a response that is made clear by Achebe through the naming ceremony of Ikem’s daughter by the women in the novel. It is clear that Achebe’s female characters in Anthills of the Savannah is quite different from his female characters in Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God. In these novels, Achebe made use of myth, narrative proverbs, and mythical stories. These narrative proverbs sometimes serve as prefigurative technique as well as comments on incidents in the novels.
After the death of Ikem, Beatrice is faced with a naming ceremony for the Ikem’s daughter, she insists on performing it themselves. In our traditional society…“the father named the child, but the man who should have done it is absent” (109).
Beatrice’s character is unique. She is seen as a representative of Idemili myth. This is because her “intellectual brilliance, and understanding almost overshadows the men in her world.” The point therefore is that Achebe created an educated character conceived in terms of the Idemili myth to challenge the patriarchal system in our African society. The merit of Anthills of the Savannah lies in Achebe’s ability to objectively portray both the positive and negative sides of his characters. Elewa, one of the characters in that novel is a typology of the passive house wife while Beatrice is an articulate and assertive woman. In the midst of an argument, Chris is shocked by Beatrice when she attempts to break out the western tinged respectful relationship. When confronted with the new opposition, his response, “I don’t know what has come over you. Screaming at me like some cherubim and seraphim prophetesses or something. I don’t understand.” (103)
Anthills of the Savannah also x-rays all forms of corruption—political, moral and social among the ruling elites. Sam is a typical representation of a corrupt despot. He planned to be a life president but when his plan failed, he uses it to punish his people by cutting their water supply project.
In this novel which is set in the West African country of Kangan, the military government is highly satirized. In fact, Anthills of the Savannah which is the title of the novel is another powerful symbol that represents a country on a hill. Through a grand narrative aimed at protecting the new Nigerian woman, Achebe has succeeded in debunking some of these myths such as women are kitchen wives or a quiet member of a household, docile and lacking initiative through the character of Beatrice. Modernity represented by Beatrice as seen in Anthills of the Savannah as a self-sustenance woman capable to becoming what she wants to be.
WORKS CITED:
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Arrow of God. London: Heinemann, 2003 edition.
Anthills of the Savannah. Ibadan Heinemann, 1987.
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Agbasiere, Julie. Feminist Assertion in Achebe’s Novels: A Study of Things fall Apart and Anthills of the Savannah Emerging Perspective on Chinua Achebe ed. Ernest Emenyonu (Ed.) Vol. 1 Trenton. NJ: African World Press, 2004.
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Onuekwusi, Jasper: A Nation and Her Stories: Milestone in the Growth of Nigeria Fiction and their Implications for National Development 13th Inaugural Lecture. Imo State University, Owerri: IMSU Press Ltd 2013.
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Chidiebere Enyia is one of the brightest rising author, poet and essayist in Nigeria. Born in Owerri Imo– State. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in English and Literary Studies Imo – State University, Owerri. He is a member of Association of Nigerian Authors and the coordinator of Owerri writers’ forum (OWF). Chidiebere writes prose fiction, poetry, short story, drama and critical essays. His published works include, Sometimes in Hardship (2011), Once Upon A Hard Time (2013), Chants of A Messenger Poet (2019). He has been published in National and International Journals, Magazines, anthologies and Newspapers. His poems appeared in ANA Imo Ogele, ANA Review, African Drum (Kenya), Ebedi Review etc in 2018, his short story titled Tears of a Biafran Child was long listed in K & L Prize Organized by a Nigeria-born Zealand writer. Chidiebere has participated in etisalat flash fictions, farfina creative workshop etc.
CHIDIEBERE ENYIA
Imo State University, Owerri.
Email: HYPERLINK “mailto:Chidiebere.enyia@yahoo.com”Chidiebere.enyia@yahoo.com
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