CONSTRUCTION OF THE AFRICAN WOMAN IN LOLA SHONEYIN’S THE SECRET LIVES OF BABA SEGI’S WIVES

Abstract

This study discusses the construction of African womanhood in Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives as it tends to construct women in an African patriarchal society. The study demonstrates that women are constructed as hardworking, victims of polygamy, objects; it further highlights emphasis on their thematic concerns and techniques of narration. The theory adopted for this study is womanism. This is a strand of feminism of the African brand. Ogunyemi’s womanism helps the woman to liberate herself from the shackles of patriarchy, oppression, subjugation and degradation caused by an individual, the family or the society, through a subtle movement, with a mutual coordination of both sexes. Thus, Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives reveals the plight of women in a polygamous marriage. The study concludes that though the novel under study is contemporary, there is no significant departure from the traditional conception of womanhood in the portrayal of female characters. However, the work highlights a little departure in the area of female characters’ attitude to motherhood. The study recommends a reconstruction of African womanhood that will reflect the times.