Continuities in Female Social Learning in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of Godand Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo’s the Last of the Strong Ones

Abstract

Within the last two to three decades, there has been an intense clamouring for
women’s emancipation. In this paper, we use deconstructionist criticism as
theoretical fulcrum to critique the condemnation of modern decadence in the 21st
century, which undermines the wholesome contribution of women to society.
Through content analysis, the study adopts an interpretative qualitative
methodology, drawing on tools of narrative, thematic and character analyses to
deconstruct literary portrayals of gender roles and pedagogy in Chinua Achebe’s
Arrow of God and Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo’s The Last of the Strong Ones.
Findings reveal that contemporary societies are grotesquely portrayed as
characterised by painful cynicism, particularly among young females, who are
disillusioned by stark realities and nostalgically yearn for a perfect past. This
nostalgia inspires fiction that mourns the loss of Nigeria’s innocence, specifically,
the post-World War 1 and the Nigerian Civil War era. The paper argues for the
adoption of progressive tutoring practices, offering holistic approach for the new
generation that could serve as parameter for national progress and integrity. It
further posits that Nigerian women should be circumspect of Western-worldfeminist views and understand that, educating female children in the traditional
African values is essential for a sustainable socio-political and socio-economic
uplift of society. It surmises that effective training yields positive consequences,
particularly in terms of the values a woman acquires and transmits to her family
and society at large.