Gender differences and liberation of female subjects discourse:
the case study of americanah novel
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14571/brajets.v16.n3.706-717Keywords:
Gendered discourse, Gender Differences, Female Identity, Social Factors, Cultural ForcesAbstract
This study aims to investigate Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah novel based on Irigarayian theory and rejection of gender difference. The entire novel deals with voice of women who cannot be heard. Their voices are mostly silenced by society in which they live due to their ethnicities and social status. Ifemelu is main character of the novel whose identity is directly under the influence of culture and ethnicity in different contexts. Irigarayian analysis is used to show the prevalence of the male sex and the notion of motherhood, believing that the female identity is characterized by the role that mothers play throughout the historical discourse, which emphasize that female have been associated with nature and negligence in contrast with the male who are associated with discourse, culture and subjectivity. Irigaray’s claims regarding female identity was rejected. The female characters in the narrative, like men, are linked with culture and discourse than with neglect and nature. Each of these female characters plays an important cultural function in refuting the Irigarayian notion. Paper argues existence of sexual difference between male and female characters reproduces gendered discourses to the disadvantage of women, whereby status quo are maintained and interests of powerful groups are served.References
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