The Scenes Of Gender Roles, By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Starting in the last decades of the 18th century colonialism was the exploitive and deleterious methods of Europeans to perpetuate the oppression of color, specifically Africa. Significant evidence for these treacherous methods are ingrained in not only in text, but in the psychology of postcolonial Africa. While Africa received their hard earned and long deserved freedom in 1957 and on, their internal struggles were not resolved. In fact, they were worsened by the effects of colonialism and severe poverty, racial differences, and a plethora of other European caused calamities. European’s fabrication did not offer an insight as profound as the works based off experience written by African intellectuals. Specifically, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s
The ideologies reveal the change one generation can go through depending on specific conditions. A clear example of archaic men vs. women relations is personified through Mama as she said “You see why boys have no business in the kitchen? You cannot even slice ugu well.”(Adichie, pg 121) Mama continues to say “(to Olanna) I hear you did not suck your mother’s breast … Please go back and tell those who sent you that you did not find my son. Tell your fellow witches you did not see him”(Adichie, pg 122) further describing the societal norms and superstitions prior to colonial exposure. Contrary to Mama’s ideals, Aunty Ifeka speaks empowering inspirational words for women privilege. She says “You must never behave as if you life belongs to a man. Do you hear me?... Your life belongs to you and you alone.”(Adichie, pg 283) though fictional, the phrase offers an empowering tone that creates a mood vehement emotion causing, at least to me, a reaction of wanting to protest. Aunty Ifeka holds more contemporary views that clash with those of Mama’s. Furthermore, men and women standards are reversed in Richards relationship with Keiane. Keiane is a powerful woman with busy schedule that does not include time for Richard which in turn aggravates Richard. These reverse roles along with Aunty Ifeka offer contemporary progression to gender equality with
Adichie clearly describes the construction and use of race to classify Africans through Odenigbo. He says “... the only authentic identity for the African is the tribe” and that “I am Nigerian because a white man created Nigeria and gave me that identity” he considers himself “black” because “white man constructed black to be as different as possible from his white”, however, through all these identities Odenigbo was “Igbo before the white man came”. (Adichie, page 25) The introduction of these identities came with colonialism along with the ideas of social darwinism that race and color controlled characteristics. These ideologies supported and perpetuated the devious exploitative nature of Europeans and were ingrained in the African psyche far after the end of colonialism. As such, these white standards were held as truth and gave rise to horrendous tragedies throughout Africa. As Adichie discusses, the Biafran war arose due to conflicts of ethnic groups that arose during the colonial era for easier rule. It says “ the product of “age-old” hatred is therefore misleading” because “the tribes of the North and the South have long had contact”, undoubtedly, “these groups also fought wars and slave-raided each other, but they did not massacre in this manner”, however, they did not “massacre like this”.(Adichie, 209) Therefore, this newborn hatred was caused by