The Nigerian author of Second Class Citizen wrote from real-life experience about the universal problems of poverty and oppression that could be the burdens of women everywhere
Buchi Emecheta’s journey – from orphaned child, through marital oppression, single motherhood and societal prejudice, to fulfilment as an internationally acclaimed writer – though often described in terms of a rags-to-riches tale is better characterised as one woman’s dogged pursuit of a seemingly impossible dream. Recurrent themes in her novels – motherhood, female independence and freedom through education – are all the more powerful since they are never far from her own real-life experiences. Although it is easy to categorise her as a Nigerian female writer, she herself felt that she was writing “stories of the world”, about the universal problems of poverty and oppression that may be the burdens of women anywhere or everywhere.
Hers was a long, focused struggle for what she felt her rightful due. The accolades did come, but so did the tragedies. Two daughters predeceased her, and she herself suffered a debilitating stroke just weeks before she was due to receive an OBE in 2005. Her son Sylvester Onwordi has written that he felt his mother was “always living a provisional life, based to some extent on survival … she did not really get to enjoy the full fruits of her success”. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the author’s second novel, Second Class Citizen – a great excuse to get stuck in to Emecheta’s work. Here are some good places to begin.
