MARITAL SUBJECTIVITY IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS AND NESHANI ANDREAS’ THE PURPLE VIOLET OF OSHAANTU

Abstract

Women are often the victims of domestic violence which male writers, in their thematic preoccupation with socio-political issues of the moment, often down play. This is the issue examine in this paper from the standpoint of Neshani Andreas’ The Purple Violet of Oshaantu and Chimamanda Adichie’s The Purple Violet of Oshaantu and It argues that wife battering continues courtesy of the silence of the women themselves in marriage due to the oppressive yoke of patriarchy which has come to define their existence. Until they learn to stand up to the bullying antics of their partner, women are likely to continue in their oppression. Clearly, the domination of women is the most fundamental form of female subjugation in the African society. Domestic violence is therefore a regular feature in many African homes, a situation which is portrayed by Adichie and Andreas in their debut novel, Purple Hibiscus and The Purple Violet of Oshaantu, as they advocate change in the attitude of society to this anomaly. The success of their advocacy is the focus of this article.