Challenging Gender Discourse and the Maternal in Society: An Analysis of Female Agency in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah within the Framework of Irigaray’s Theory

Subject Areas : Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation

Hasti Soltani ¹ , Ali Salami ² , Mohsen Hanif ³

1 - Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Language and English Literature, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran.
2 - Associate Professor, Department of English, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 - Associate Professor, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.

Received: 2023-08-06 Accepted : 2023-10-17 Published : 2023-11-01

Keywords: Gender differences, Nature, maternal concept, Social position, Cultural forces,

Abstract :

This study examines the theory of Luce Irigaray on the abolition of gender differences and the notion of motherhood in order to emphasize the alleged superiority of men. It also analyzes Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel Americanah. Irigaray argues that women’s identity has historically been defined by their maternal role, claiming that men’s identity is shaped by discourse, culture, and subjectivity, while women are characterized by nature, marginalization, and objectification. Contrary to Irigaray’s assertion, the female protagonists in Americanah are portrayed as being as closely associated with culture and discourse as their male counterparts, rather than nature and neglect. Moreover, it focuses on Germaine Greer’s theories specifically on the genuine freedom of ladies requires an otherworldly liberation that goes before physical flexibility. As it has shown throughout this article this freedom includes a dismissal of the profoundly imbued social and social standards that oversee female behavior. The novel foregrounds the voices of women whose expressions are suppressed by social norms. Each female character in the narrative takes on a significant cultural role and challenges Irigaray’s perspective. This study addresses gender inequalities and questions the perpetuation of misogynistic gender narratives that uphold the dominant social order and favor dominant groups.

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