Representations of Post-Colonial Nigerian Society as Entrapped between The Old and The New in Flora Nwapa's Women Are Different

Öz

The aim of this article is to discuss how Women are Different by Flora Nwapa presents the entrapped situation of post-colonial Nigerian society between their old traditions, values and the new traditions the colonizer brings along. Flora Nwapa who is the first African female writer to publish in English is significant in postcolonial discourses in that she introduces female voice in postcolonial literature, thereby contributes to the feminist discussion within postcolonial theory. Her specific focus on Nigerian women and their different experiences in Women are Different sustains a new gaze to the situations of the muted and doubly colonized African women. Nwapa exclusively portrays Nigerian women as they are entrapped between the expectations of Nigerian society and the liberating education of the colonizer. Nevertheless, Nwapa’s wide spectrum in the novel is inclusive of the effects of colonialism on the Nigerian men, white women and the next generation Nigerian characters, as well. Thus, setting off from the multifaceted narration of Nwapa, this article will discuss the dichotomies the colonial subjects as well as the colonizers are exposed to within colonial and postcolonial process.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Postcolonial literature, feminist theory, Nigerian literature, Flora Nwapa, Women are Different

Representations of Post-Colonial Nigerian Society as Entrapped between The Old and The New in Flora Nwapa's Women Are Different

Öz

Bu makalenin amacı, Flora Nwapa’nın Women are Different adlı romanının Nijerya halkının sömürge sonrası dönemde kendi eski geleneklerinin ve sömürgeci ülkenin getirdiği yeni geleneklerin arasında kıstırılmış durumunu nasıl yansıttığını tartışmaktır. İngilizce roman yayımlayan ilk Afrikalı kadın yazar olan Flora Nwapa’nın sömürge sonrası tartışmalardaki önemi sömürge sonrası edebiyata kadın sesini tanıtması ve böylelikle sömürgecilik sonrası teori içerisinde feminist tartışmalara katkıda bulunmuş olmasından ileri gelir. Nwapa’nın özellikle Nijeryalı kadınlara ve onların deneyimlerine yoğunlaşan Women are Different adlı romanı sessizleştirilmiş ve iki kere sömürülmüş Nijeryalı kadınların içerisinde bulunduğu duruma bir pencere açar. Nwapa Nijeryalı kadınları, Nijerya toplumunun onlardan beklentileri ile sömürgeci ülkenin getirdiği kadını özgürleştiren eğitim arasında kıstırılmış olarak sergilemektedir. Fakat Nwapa’nın eseri sömürgeciliğin Nijeryalı erkekler, beyaz kadınlar ve gelecek nesil karakterlerin üzerindeki etkilerini de içerir. Bu sebeple, Nwapa’nın çoksesli oluşundan yola çıkan bu makale sömürülenin ve sömürenin hem sömürge süreci hem de sonrasındaki süreç içerisinde maruz kaldığı çıkmazları tartışacaktır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sömürge sonrası edebiyatı, feminist teori, Nijerya Edebiyatı, Flora Nwapa, Women are Different

Kaynakça

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2. MCLEOD, John (2000), Beginning Postcolonialism. Manchester and New York: Manchester UP. MEARS, Mary D (2009), “Choice and Discovery: An Analysis of Women and Culture in Flora Nwapa‟s Fiction.” Diss. U of South Florida. Scholar Commons. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. NNAEMEKA, Obioma (1995), “Feminism, Rebellious Women, and Cultural Boundaries: Rereading Flora Nwapa and Her Compatriots.” Research in African Literartures Vol. 26, No. 2: 80-113. JSTOR. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. NWAPA, Flora (1992), Women are Different. New Jersey: Africa World Press. SİLKÜ, Rezzan Kocaöner (2008), “Postcolonial Feminist Discourse in Flora Nwapa‟s Women are Different.” World Literature Written in English Vol. 40, No, 1: 125-135. Taylor & Francis Online. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. SPIVAK, Gayatri Chakravorty (1988), “Can the Subaltern Speak?” Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture. Eds. Cary Nelson and Lawrence Grossberg. Chicago: University of Illinois Press. Google Book Search. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. UMEH, Marie and Flora Nwapa (1995), “The Poetics of Economic Independence for Female Empowerment: An Interview with Flora Nwapa.” Research in African Literatures Vol. 26, No. 2: 22-29. JSTOR. Web. 05 Nov. 20