The Construction Of Masculinity And Femininity In Nigerian Trilogy

From the perspective of R.W.Connell’s(1944-)Masculinity theory and Femininity theory of Beauvoir’s The Second Sex,this paper analyzes masculinity and femininity in Things Fall Apart,No Longer at ease and Arrow of God,providing a comprehensive theoretical perspective for the study of Achebe’s novels.Although Chinua Achebe receive great attention around the world since his publication of Thing Fall Apart,his other novels have been relatively ignored,especially Arrow of God.This thesis combines masculinity theory and femininity theory to analyze and explain the way Achebe constructs masculinity and femininity in "Nigerian Trilogy",so as to have a deeper understanding of the men and women of Ibo tribe and the changes of their social life.From the early colonial period to the post-colonial period,this thesis takes the influence of colonialism and Christianity on the Ibo tribal culture as the main clue,discussed masculinity and femininity in Nigerian trilogy,and finds that Achebe mainly constructs the following masculinity and femininity: hegemonic masculinity,complicit masculinity,subordinated masculinity and marginalized masculinity,complicit femininity,disciplined femininity,variable femininity and marginalized femininity,which all constructed through the relationships between characters and their social status in Igbo society and embodied in the formation of characters’ personality,family status and the process of social production.This thesis takes both masculinity and femininity in Nigerian Trilogy into consideration,coming to the conclusion that Achebe appeals harmonious gender relationship among Igbo tribe and open mindset for the changing world.A sound personality should combine masculinity and femininity,cultivating his or her sound personalities.Okonkwo,Ezeulu,Unoka,Obi all meet their tragic end for their single masculinity,so Chinua Achebe created different characters with various dispositions and sound personalities,which enlighten the world that harmonious development of personality is crucial to individual.