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Culture

The culture showcased in Idu is that of the Igbo people. The book is both representative and unrepresentative of the Igbo culture.

Some criticism includes:

·        Idu challenges an Igbo woman's cultural norms by rejecting the idea of male dominance, their role as a wife and the importance of the child. (Umeh, Signifying the Griottes)

·        Idu's death acts as a protest against the Igbo traditional custom, levirate.

·        Nwapa showcases the ideal Igbo woman within her character Idu rather than the average Igbo woman. (Umeh, Signifying the Griottes)

·        The characters in Idu are at odds with the Igbo reality. (Nwankwo)

Aspects that are representative of Igbo culture include:

·        The concept that a childless marriage is a failure. (Nwankwo)

·        In “The Igbo Word”, the Chimalum Nwankwo states that one of Idu’s core themes is childlessness and the unhappiness it brings. (Nwankwo)

·        Nwapa’s use of the Uhamiri. The Uhamiri is an Igbo myth. This myth acts as a plot device in Idu. (Ikechukwu)

·        The myth of Uhamiri allows for increased cultural awareness of the Igbo culture. Uhamiri is a symbol of morality and ethical values in the Igbo culture. (Ikechukwu)

Legacy

Flora Nwapa’s novels and stories take topics like marriage, social responsibility, self-sacrifice, and humanity and then question the prevalent cultural norms associated with them. (Umeh, Signifying the Griottes)

Traditionally Igbo literature was written from a male perspective, however, Idu is written from a feminine perspective. (Umeh, Signifying the Griottes) The female characters in Idu are the ones that are displayed making sacrifices for the “greater good”. (Umeh, Signifying the Griottes) Idu forces readers to see the female from a new perspective. The female is shown as a person with brains, feelings, emotions, and desires; she is not merely an object. (Umeh, Signifying the Griottes)

Nwapa uses Idu to cast a light on problems within the Igbo community. Through her characters, she stresses the importance of healing their community to allow for a rebirth of their community and for their people. (Ogunvemi)

However, critics assert that Idu also leaves a legacy stating that children are not as important as love. Idu kills herself through starvation after Adiewere dies, even though she was pregnant and had a son. (Umeh, Flora Nwapa) In a world where children come first, Idu sends the message that the love of two people is greater than the love for a child. (Umeh, Flora Nwapa) Idu does challenge her role in the Igbo community but the fact that she is pregnant “problematizes the issue of childlessness”. (Ogunvemi)

Sources

Nwankwo, Chimalum. The Igbo Word in Flora Nwapa’s Craft. Research in African Literatures, Vol. 26 Issue 2, Indiana University Press, 1995. Pp. 42-53. Web.

Ogunvemi, Chikwenye Okonjo. Introduction: The Invalid Death, and the Author: The Case of Flora Nwapa. Research in African Literatures, Vol. 26 Issue 2, Indiana University Press, 1995. Pp. 1-16. Web.

Umeh, Marie. Signifying the Griottes: Flora Nwapa’s Legacy of vision and voice. Research in African Literatures, Vol. 26 Issue 2, Indiana University Press, 1995. Pp. 114-124. Web.

Umeh, Marie. Flora Nwapa As Author, Character, and Omniscient Narrator on “The Family Romance” in An African Society. Dialectical Anthropology, Vol. 26 Issue 3/4, 2001. Pp. 334-355. Web.

Asika, Ikechukwu Emmanuel and Ifeoma Akabuike. Re-reading Flora Nwapa’s Efuru and Idu: Myth as a Vehicle for Cultural Transmission and Awareness. AFRREV IJAH: An International Journal of Arts and Humanities, Vol. 1 Issue 2, 2012. Pp. 85-99. Web.