Chimamanda Adiche, in her journey of exploring sociocultural exploitation has unraveled different forms of marginalization, racial and gender especially. She has managed so well to show how the majority has been imposing themselves on those that the society sees inferior. This has given her accolades and respect amidst critical writers, especially in Nigeria and other countries.
She has been able to unravel another form of exploitation (gender) in her latest short story – Zikora- she is able to build the character so well to show what women pass through while trying to prove their womanhood to the society in order to earn them respect amidst other people in the society.
The story starts with the main character Zikora in a hospital where she is trying to give birth, her mother beside her deliberately stays aside and deny her any form of support, emotionally, psychologically or physically, all because she wants her to face life the way it truly is. To make her stand, independent and rely on her own strength and not others. This is as a result of what has happened to her in her marriage. Her husband marries second wife and she has to stand for her immediate family, all because she could not bear a male child. She has to subject to what her husband’s family wants at the detriment of her happiness.
Chimananda is able to question the issue of male over female ascendency and importance in the family, she is able to advocate that both male and female children are important and could be great in life depending on how they are being brought up. She captures this so well in the child of Zikora’s father second wife who was caught in the act of malpractice in the examination hall and Zikora on the other end is doing so well in her academics who eventually becomes a lawyer in U.S.
Zikora’s mother does not want her (Zikora) to be weak, rather she should rise to face the challenges herself and not allow the society or the ill ideology of women being weak to bring her down. Chimamanda deliberately creates this type of character to preach the independence of women and how strong women are, not weaker ones but strong ones that can rise and face life situations with or without men.
Chimamanda is also able to show the materialistic side of Africans. Despite the fact that Kwame’s parents are educated Ghanaians who live in the United States, they value materialism over love of their son, if not for Zikora’s personality, the parent might not have approved their relationship. Chimamanda is able to ironically tackle this issue of materialism In Africa, despite the level of Kwame’s parent exposure, they still prioritize her financial status, educational status and her background before approving the relationship, this shows that approval of marriage or relationship in Africa is based on materialism which ought not to.
The author is able to critically picture how men treats women in Africa through the male character – Kwame - who was the lover of Zikora, he is a lawyer just like Zikora, they had pleasant life together and enjoyed themselves until Zikora comes home one day excited and tells Kwame that she is pregnant which makes Kwame to breakup with her. Despite his knowledge that Zikora has stopped using her pills due to the complication she suspected, yet he breaks up the relationship and eventually cut Zikora shut of any form of communication or ways of getting over to him.
With the claim that he is not ready for being a father and that Zikora made the choice herself without including him in making the decision he decides to shut her away from him. He fails to take responsibility over Zikora during her pregnancy, does not stand beside her during birth and decides not to stand even beside the child. This shows the callousness of men towards women.
Also, she is able to point out that men know little or nothing about women’s body and because of this they misbehave. This is evident in the way Kwame reacts to the news of Zikora’s pregnancy. He does not know how it feels for a woman to take pills to prevent pregnancy, what it means to carry pregnancy and the pain women go through while giving birth. Chimamanda is able to preach to men that they have little or nothing to do for a woman during pregnancy, not sharing the pain and the health status of the woman during the pregnancy stage and while giving birth, all is on the woman and not man.
Zikora’s cousin (Mmiliaku) husband who “asked her to stop working because he could afford to keep her at home…rape her whenever she’s asleep” is another example of how men exploit and enforce their will on women. With the societal believe that men have total control over women body, men force themselves on women and do whatever they want with the gender. Even after many years of education, men will force women not to use their certificate, making them full house wife, even if it is not pleasing to the woman.
Zikora is a story that talks about what women pass through on child bearing, in their marriage and in the society as women. The story has the theme of, womanhood, sociocultural exploitation and self-reliance.
Through the text, chimamanda is able to show the world that, with or without men, women are capable of bearing their responsibilities themselves and men are not their limitation, that is if women encourage themselves, just as Zikora’s mother is the source of inspiration and encouragement for her.
© Joshua OLADEBO, 2021.
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