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Evolutionary Portrayal of Credible Characters in Chinua Achebe’s Fiction
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- By Kalapi Sen
- Edited by Ernest N. Emenyonu
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- Book:
- ALT 37
- Published by:
- Boydell & Brewer
- Published online:
- 02 April 2020
- Print publication:
- 15 November 2019, pp 25-35
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- Chapter
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Summary
In 1958, Chinua Achebe entered the literary scene and challenged the age-old belief that Africa is nothing more than a ‘heart of darkness’ with his ground-breaking novel, Things Fall Apart – a book which re-defined the genre of African Literature and ‘changed the global perceptions and western concepts and theories of imaginative creativity in and from Africa’ (Call For Papers: African Literature Today @ 50). But, sadly enough, even after half a century of critical readings and re-readings of Achebe's works, for most critics Achebe is a misogynist until today. According to most of the Achebe critics, Achebe's women are ‘voiceless’ and ‘virtually inconsequential’ (Mezu Chinua Achebe: The Man and His Works: 212), always subjugated/ subordinated by their ‘heavy handed’ masters leaving them in a tight corner, without any scope of emancipation. Challenging the view of some critics like Rose Ure Mezu or Mary E. Modupe Kolawole, to name but two, this article proposes to subvert the most popular view of the Achebe's portrayal of the African woman as nothing more than ‘the weaker sex – a fragile, helpless, passive, idealized, exotic accessory’ (Mezu ‘Womanhood: The European Concept v. the African’) to the African male.
Generally speaking, whenever critics have assessed the portrayal of women in Achebe's works, especially in his novels, they have concluded that in an ‘androcentric’ setting of his novels, the ‘treatment of women … confirms the world of male chivalry and macho heroism’ (Kolawole Womanism and African Consciousness: 111). Another popular view is that the women in the stories are present only to ‘punctuate the men's stories but remain in the periphery of social impact’ (112). A very interesting point regarding this generalized view against Achebe's creation of women figures has been made by Professor Ernest N. Emenyonu in a personal interview1 where he is questioned thus:
K.S.: What do you think about the critics, though I shall name none, who have branded Achebe as ‘misogynist’?
E.E.: You know, sometimes there are critics who want to speak to the gallery, O.K.! And they only talk about Achebe didn't do this … Achebe didn't do that and his treatment of women! When I hear these statements, I simply say: ‘You people do not understand the relationship between literature and history.’
Childless – Short Story
- from LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
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- By Kalapi Sen, LadyBrabourne College, Kolkata.
- Edited by Ernest N. Emenyonu
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- Book:
- ALT 35: Focus on Egypt
- Published by:
- Boydell & Brewer
- Published online:
- 24 August 2019
- Print publication:
- 17 November 2017, pp 251-264
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- Chapter
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Summary
As usual, shereached the Princep Ghat railway station for circular rail,overlooking the majestic Ganges. It used to be their regularmeeting place since they had met there for the first time.And, as usual, she reached right on time on June 27, 2002.Little did she think that a day like this will ever come inher life! But fate generally has something in store which wenever imagine – even in our nightmares. It was undoubtedlytheir first meeting after their split which had come due tothose five words, after a strong relationship of fivebeautiful springs –
‘This kid isnot mine!’
A cold chillran down her spine. She was not prepared – at least forthis! After a silence of three seconds, in a shivering voiceSheema said, ‘How could you even say that? Is this reallywhat I should get after five long years of commitment to youeven by going against my family?’
With tears liketwo drops of pearl she tried to look up in to the eyes ofher love. But as her eyes went up to confront his eyes,Gourav had already moved ten steps away from her. She triedto move towards him and hold his hand. But those ten stepsnow seemed to be more than ten miles! From a distance Sheemaheard him saying, ‘Listen, I can't get married to you.’
After atumultuous step taken by her to go against her family'sdecision and the society's rebukes, Sheema was ordained thestatus of a ‘slut’ by the person whom she loved more thananyone else in her life. In vain she tried to convinceGourav to get married as soon as possible – not to saveherself from being beaten to death by her parents or to saveher family's honor and reputation in the society where herown aunt was brutally murdered in the name of ‘honorkilling’; but only to bring their love-child into this world– a place which she imagined as the ‘most beautiful place’till she heard those words which she couldn't believe.