The Nneka principle in the fiction of Chinua Achebe: A study of the mother archetype in his selected novels

Abstract

This study is a gender appraisal that employs the nneka principle to explore literary creation of mother archetype with focus on one of the world's renowned prolific writers and literary critics of African origin: Chinua Achebe. The study identifies patterns and critically analyses mother archetypes in Achebe's three novels: Things Fall Apart (TFA:1958), No Longer at Ease (NLAE:1960), and A Man of the People (AMGP:1966). Anthills of the Savannah (AGS:1987) is introduced in ultimate chapter to augment the argument that its main character, Beatrice, marks the culmination of Achebe's strong women series. This study argues that, by looking at the consistent successful accomplishments of women as they steer important roles in the society such as education, religion and justice, nneka principle comes into focus as the enabling factor. The thesis hinges on the fact that not much has been done on mother archetypes in Achebe's texts rather critics have considered all women characters together as an entity and lamented their misrepresentation. The question is what role does Achebe prescribe for nneka principle to play in attaining total inclusion of women in day to day running of affairs in the world? The issue of whether masculine gender failure to recognize and respect nneka principle has any effect has also been explored. In so doing, this work has sought to unearth the vision that Achebe, as the father of African literature, has for Africa and the world. The study has employed archetypal theory whose main proponents are Northrop Frye and Carl Gustav lung to aid in tracing and analyzing the mother archetypal patterns across the novels being analyzed. The study is qualitative in nature, based on library research involving a close examination of primary and secondary texts as well as journals and internet sources where applicable. It employs critical works on African literature and the reading of the four novels as the main sources of data. The information gathered is synthesized and a detailed analysis is done to project the main arguments of the study. This thesis is configured in five chapters in line with the set objectives and the stipulated research questions. Chapter one details a comprehensive background of the study highlighting the problem, theoretical foundations, review of related literature, and overall conceptualization of the thesis. Chapter two surveys religion, education and judicial system as the societal mainstay roles that Achebe assigns to women characters and interrogates women's effectiveness in accomplishing them. The third chapter explores the notion that the reason behind Achebe's heroes' tragic end results from their attempt to decenter nneka principle. The author's vision on gender is undertaken in chapter four whereby the author's implied vision on gender relationships in African context is revealed. Chapter five contains the summary and suggestions for further