The Girl-Child as a Victim: A Critical Reading of Amma Darko’s Faceless

Luke Ndudi Okolo — 2024-06-30

It is observed that the well-documented issues of oppression and discrimination have been an age-long tradition which affects the life of women, generally. The issues of forced marriages, sex trafficking, domestic and sexual abuse have seriously penetrated the society at large. They pose severe threat to the female gender (the girl-child). The researchers, having observed that no scholar had given needed attention to the tragedy of the girl-child in Ghana as portrayed by Amma Darko, sought to do just that. The study is thus carried out to ascertain the extent of gender induced burden on the girl-child and its adverse and far-reaching psychological implications on the female gender. Against this backdrop, this study examines Amma Darko’s Faceleess. This work makes use of Objectification Theory which is, basically, the act of seeing and/or treating a person, usually a woman as an object. In the core concept of this study, objectification connotes a patriarchal structure that evaluates the female as a means of (objects for) attaining satisfaction of certain self-desires and wants usually sexual and economic satisfaction. In order to critically analyse the status of the girl-child as a victim of societal oppression and objectification, excerpts from these selected novels are contextually discussed to show the extent to which these experiences and harsh reality often affects the female victims psychologically. Patriarchal Cultures are pinpointed as being the main cause of these ordeals, and therefore, needs to be revisited as it silences women and hinders their self-actualisation in the society.

Language, Literature and African Common Norms

Martina Chioma Uche PhD — 2024-06-30

The basic function of language is communication and its users subconsciously protect its expensive capabilities. It helps in cultural transmission and each generation uses the form of language handed down by the previous generation, language is usually adapted and altered to suit the personal requirements of the next generation. Similarly, a distinctive form of language can give a cultural group a sense of identity, uniting insiders and alienating outsides. The situation in most parts of Africa supports scholars’ argument that for any group of people to share a sense of common norm, a certain minimum level of communication between them must be guaranteed. And the incontrovertible evidence shows that language has remained one of the most visible and enduring senses of that shared identity. In Africa, evident shows that language has become a very strong factor for ethno-national identity, with the ethnic loyalty overriding national interests. Previous scholarly contributions on the complex linguistic situation in Africa have discussed strategies adopted in language planning and types of language policies in many of the nations in Africa. Drawing on these contributions, as well as incorporating recent developments, this article language, literature and African common norms discusses aspects of language, literature, and African common norms and how they affect Africa. It examines language as power, norms of Africa, African literature and the importance of language in African society. The study adopts a qualitative descriptive method and uses Dell Hymes (1966) communicative competence theory. The findings show that the study of language, literature and African common norms has really contributed a lot in Africa. The study recommends that African norms should be maintained through teaching and exposing our children to them as early as possible so that it can become part of their way of living.

JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN MANAGEMENT AND HUMANITIES

The Girl-Child as a Victim: A Critical Reading of Amma Darko’s Faceless

Language, Literature and African Common Norms