Oppression And Resistance In Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions (1988) And Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus (2003): A Comparative Study

Résumé: This present dissertation is a comparative study of Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions (1988) and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus (2003). It aims to show the different forms of oppression that African women encounter in both Rhodesia and Nigeria. It also aims to reveal the diverse forms of resistance these women develop to fight back their obstacles in both novels. In order to attain this goal, we have relied on the theory of Bell hooks’ Feminist Theory: From Margin to Centre (1984). The discussion section is divided into two parts. The first part shows the diverse forms of oppression: patriarchal, sexist, and psychological, found in the novel, as serious obstacles to both Rhodesian and Nigerian women’s emancipation. In the second part, the research examines education and women’s solidarity as two significant tools for women to resist oppression in both novels. Through the analysis of Tsitsi Dangarembga’s and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s works, the study concludes with similarities between the two novels. It has been demonstrated that in both Nervous Conditions (1988) and Purple Hibiscus (2003), women live under patriarchal systems that eliminate their chances to be valued and that they are subject to psychological and sexist oppression. Moreover, this research shows that African women are able to struggle and resist all forms of oppression using education and women’s solidarity as two important weapons.

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