SOURCE:

Faculty: Arts
Department: Igbo, African & Chinese Studies

CONTRIBUTORS:

Okechukwu, C.E;
Okodo, A.I;

ABSTRACT:

Literary works are reflections and recreations of the society that creates it. Over the years, women have suffered traumas and oppression due to cultural subjectivity. There are gender discrimination which aimed at the subordination of women in general and Igbo women in particular. It is the male subjugation of women folk borne out of various oppressive cultural practices and partriarchal structures that brought about feminist agitation. These have over the years led to feminist writings which are informed by feminist thinking, theory, ideology and philosophy. The psychological trauma of female characters in Igbo literary works is informed by the Igbo philosophy and ideology about women. It is this frame of mind that finds expression in Igbo literary works selected for this study. The research work aims at restoring the dignity of womanhood by challenging them to rise up and demand for their rightful position in the Igbo society and to write their own works which will find expression in their literary works and also finding out the problems and trauma female character undergo due to cultural subjectivity. Giving the women chance to contribute meaningfully to socio-political and economic development of Igbo society will show positive change among women folk. To carry out this work effectively, the study adopted the survey research method and eight literary works were studied, four novels, Qja Dufuo Dike, Agwq na Ihe O Loro, Nkql[ and Adaeze and four plays, Obidiya, Eriri Mara Ngwugwu, Ugomma and Ihe Onye Metere. Some literatures were reviewed. The theoretical approach adopted for the study was feminism. From the analysis of the Igbo literary texts under study, it is observed that female characters are subjected to untold domestic violence and psychological trauma as a result of cultural imposition or subjectivity that cut across socio-political and economical spheres. The research work would be of great value to the public, teachers, students mostly the researchers interested in the protecting the women in Igbo society from the literary point of view. It is hoped that this work will help people to change their negative attitude to gender discrimination.