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FEMINIST CONSCIOUSNESS IN BUCHI
EMECHETA’S SECOND CLASS CITIZEN AND
ZAYNAB ALKALI’S THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN
ALFANLA SHAKIRAT MODUPE
07/15CD050
AN ESSAY SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE
OF BACHELOR OF ARTS (HONS)
IN ENGLISH
TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH,
FACULTY OF ARTS,
UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN.
MAY, 2011
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CERTIFICATION
This essay has been read and approved as meeting part of the requirements for
the award of the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in the Department of English
Language of the faculty of Arts, University of Ilorin, Ilorin.
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Date
MRS. T.M OLUJIDE
Supervisor
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DR. S.T BABATUNDE
Head of Department
Date
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External Examiner
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Date
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DEDICATION
This essay is dedicated to my lovely parents Alhaja Hafsat and Alhaji Kamil Musa
Alfanla for their support and love, morally and financially. May Almighty Allah reward you
abundantly. Amin
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My profound gratitude first goes to Almighty Allah, the I am that I am, for giving
me the enablement form time immemorial, without whom this olivine guidance and
providence my effort would have been fruitless.
I would use this opportunity to thank my wonderful, caring supervisor, Mrs. T.M.
Olujide who attended to me like a mother in spite of her tight schedule and gave me
enough support in making this project a success. Thank for your motherly care.
Moreover, my gratitude goes to my parents: Alhaji Kamil Musa Alfanla for his
fatherly, morally and financial support towards achieving my academic pursuit without
any grudge. Also my dear mother Alhaja Hafsat Alfanla for her motherly love and
advice, I pray that long life and prosperity shall be hers in the name of Allah. Amin.
I also thank my ‘Aunt’ Alhaja Hafsat Adeyi and her husband Dr. Muhammad
Jamiu Adeyi for their support in numerous ways.
I can not but express special gratitude to Mrs. Faisat Hanafi, Alhaji Mansur
Alfanla, Lawyer Ibrahim Aliyu, Brother Uthman, Mrs. Zainab Olateju, Alhaji
Abdurasheed Alfanla, Alhaji Abdurazaq Alfanla, Mummy Ope, Mrs Aminat Kanike,
Alhaja Maimunat Alfanla, Alhaja Ajoke Alfanla, Alhaja Nafisat Alfanla, Alhaja Ramat
Alfanla who has touched my life in one way or the other, I pray Allah will enlarge their
coast.
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Furthermore, my unending gratitude goes to my brother Olayiwola Alfanla,
Shakiru, Najeeb, My friend Kaosara, Aishat, Fatimah, Yetunde and my typist
Olanrewaju Taofeeq and Abdullah Yuusuf Opeyemi, Aduagba, Kamal-deen, Tinuke,
Hickmat, Sherifat, Titilayo, Tijani Tawakalt, brother Mashood Olanrewaju, brother
sheriff, to my friends, colleagues, room mates and acquaintances with whom many
unerasable, Hajia Barakat, brother faclil, sister Nike, Mama and Habeeb and all the
Alfanla’s in general.
My special appreciation also goes to my best friend Alliyu Olayinka Abdullah, I
pray you shall reach the peak of your goal in life. Thanks a billion, I am very proud of
you. You have been so wonderful and great.
Lastly, I once again give thanks to the Almighty Allah, the Beneficent, the
Merciful, the Great, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, the all knowing ….Omni everything, for
this care and protection over me since yesterday, present and forever. He shall be
praised forevermore.
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ABSTRACT
Feminism as an ideology began with the realization that women were being
oppressed and suppressed in a male dominated society. Women’s response to their
oppression is tagged feminism. This research work therefore seeks critically examines
the feminist consciousness advocated for by Buchi Emecheta’s Second Class Citizen
and Zaynab Alkali’s The Virtuous Woman to tackle patriarchy and make superiority in
Africa. The two novels are carefully chosen because they both portray feminist
consciousness that aims at emancipating woman from oppression in a patriarchal
society.
Our findings show that feminism is yet to have common theoretical base, but
Buchi Emecheta and Zaynab Alkali advocate for proper education, justice, equal right as
the key to women’s emancipation in African patriarchal society.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page…………………………………………………………………………………………..i
Certification……………………………………….……………………………………………….ii
Dedication…………………………………………………………………...……………………iii
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………...……………………iv
Abstract……………………………………………………...…………………………………….v
Table of contents…………………………………………………………………………….…..vi
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….1
Purpose of the study…………..…………………………………………………………………3
Scope of the study……………………………………………………………...………………..3
Organization of Chapters…..…………………………………..……………………………….4
Justification…………………………………………………………………………….…………4
Methodology……………………………………………………………………….……………..4
CHAPTER TWO
Literature, Review
Introduction…………………………………………………………………….…………………5
Feminism and feminist Ideology…………………………………………......….……………..5
Origin of feminism…………………………………………………………….………………….8
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The diversities of feminism……………………………………………………..……………..10
Feminism and women issues………………………………………………………..………..12
Feminists consciousness………………………………………………………………………13
Womanism………………………………………………………………………………………18
Distinguishing of characters of womanism………………………………………….……….20
African feminism………………………………………………………………………………..22
Authorial Background of Buchi Emecheta…………………………………………………...23
Authorial Background of Zaynab Alkali………………………………………………………24
CHAPTER THREE
FEMINIST ISSUES IN BUCHI EMECHETA’S SECOND CLASS CITIZEN
Women as Second Class Citizen……………………………………………………………..26
Male chauvism………………………………………………………………………….………29
CHAPTER FOUR
Feminist perspectives in Zaynab Alkali’s The Virtuous Woman……………………...…...39
Education and women empowerment………………………………………………………..41
Traditional / cultural constraints……………………………………………………….………42
Religious constraints……………………………………………..…………………………….43
Educational empowerment in Alkali’s The Virtuous Woman………………………...…….45
Genderlect in The Virtuous Woman……………………………………....................………47
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary…………………………………………………………………………..……………50
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Findings………………………………………………………………………….………………51
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..…………..53
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………..………54
FEMINIST CONSCIOUSNESS IN BUCHI
EMECHETA’S SECOND CLASS CITIZEN AND
ZAYNAB ALKALI’S THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN
ALFANLA SHAKIRAT MODUPE
07/15CD050
MAY, 2011
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