The Secret Lives of Polygamous Wives: African Feminist Consciousness and Writing in Selected Nigerian Polygamous Narratives

This dissertation considers three novels by Nigerian women writers, which grapple with patriarchy within the context of polygamous marriage. These novels are The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives (2010) by Lola Shoneyin, Stay with Me (2017) by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, and The Joys of Motherhood (1979) by Buchi Emecheta. This dissertation examines the ways in which Shoneyin, Adébáyọ̀ and Emecheta demonstrate African feminist theory and consciousness in writing women characters in these novels. These authors not only expose patriarchal systems but also write women characters in ways that distance them from past, static, and stereotypical representations by male writers of African literature. This recasting of women characters gives the women characters a sense of agency, room for potential friendships and releases them from the pressures of being blamed for infertility. Shoneyin, Adébáyọ̀ and Emecheta expose how patriarchal rule in these novels manifests in more than one way. Traditionally, this rule comes from the man or husband; however, it is also enacted by the other wives in the marriages represented, as well as the mothers of patriarchs. Since African feminism concerns the liberation of women, it is vital that polygamous marriage narratives such as these are investigated as these kinds of marriages are often considered patriarchal.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of English Language and Literature

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Gaffoor, Zainab

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Boswell, Barbara-Anne

• English Literary Studies

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41576

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41576