Women Empowerment In Kelemo’s Woman By Molara Wood And Growing My Hair Again By Chika Unigwe
Margaret Thatcher once said, “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman. ” Woman are stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights, just as the word empowerment describes. G. D. Anderson said, 'Feminism isn't about making women strong. Women are already strong. It's about changing the way the world perceives that strength. ' In Kelemo’s Woman by Molara Wood and Growing My Hair Again by Chika Unigwe, there are acts of empowerment such as being abused and being strong enough to act upon themselves to change situations. There are similarities and differences and important information beyond the Nigerian society discussed within these stories that will be compared and analyzed.
Growing My Hair Again, Nneka and “Kelemo’s Women,” Iriola are similar and closely comparable throughout the story. Abuse! In “Growing My Hair”, Nneka is abused by her husband and mother-in-law as Iriola in “Kelemo;s Women” is abused by an officer. After the late passing of Nneka husband, Iriola is beside the deathbed in which her mother is on. Death in both stories depicts the detachment of old endings and a chapter filled with new beginnings. As in “Growing My Hair Again” and “Kelomo’s Women,” empowerment is shown throughout. Acts of empowerment that Nneka shows is the cutting of her hair after she grieves the loss of her abusive husband, as she states, “An independent woman with my own boutique. I shall regrow my hair. ” Regrowth of the hair represents the beginning of a new life. Perhaps, Iriola takes a different approach. Instead of changing things about herself and changing of appearances, Iriola made herself vulnerable to the officers hoping to get a job at a school to establish a new lifestyle for herself. Both stories share the theme of power struggle.
Throughout the stories, there are differences that separate one story from the next. In “Kelemo’s Women”, Iriola struggles within her relationship with her activist husband, a freedom fighter in the time of the military coup, as she comes to the realization that they will be captured eventually, even stating being the wife of an activist leader is not what she wanted. Throughout the story, it seems that Iriola is put in situations that she does not want to be it as she states within that her actions are “uneasy and unsure. ” Iriola’s doesn’t have the freedom of choice as she speaks of stopping and her husband says, I’m sorry, Iriola. I don’t mean to put you through this, but it’s better to be safe. What use are we to the struggle if we are killed? And you? You’re not used to your mother dead. Think about it! She would want you to get away in these circumstances…Listen to what I am telling you!” Although there’s no explanation for rather he is being forceful or hypocritical, it does seem she is being forced into a situation she wants no part in. Iriola is caught up in her husband’s devotion to resisting the forces of suppression. Through acts of empowerment, she chooses to quit following him around, risking her life from one rebellion to another and decides to leave and gives his names up. She then focuses on herself and makes herself vulnerable upon the officers, hoping to get a chance to work in the school to create a new lifestyle for herself. Within the time she decides to leave she mentions what her mother told her before her death. Her mother said, …allow yourself to be pulled down by no one. Don’t be like me, slaving all my life to stand by men and for what? … Now you will have no mother. The person to watch over you, is you. ”
Chika Unigwe, “Growing My Hair Again” portrays a similar them of power struggles both differences in situations of the main characters. Nneke is moral. She wants for herself but cannot achieve. Nneke is a widow of her deceased abusive husband, who finds relief rather than being sad. Nneke was in a sexually abusive relationship with her husband Okpala, as she was afraid to fight back someone who was bigger and scarier than she was. Instead of giving up her husband for a sustainable lifestyle as Iriola did in “Kelemo’s Women”, acts of empowerment in “Growing My Hair Again” are depicted broadly throughout. Nnke cut her hair, got her tubes tied and ate things differently from the Nigerian culture. The cutting and growing of the hair as represented in the story is the beginning of a new chapter in life. Feeling of revenge and control. Nneka had her tubes tied as well, to prevent the boy that Okpala always wanted from being able to come in the world, and she also felt relief rather than crying at her husband’s funeral. Throughout both stories you learn that the Nigerian culture is structured as a heavy rule-based culture. In the Nigerian culture, women scream during funerals to show loyalty. In the Nigerian culture, a widower is only allowed to eat palm oils and yams for a year. You cannot partake in an affair within the Nigerian culture.
Empowerment is the rising and focus on yourself. What you can do for yourself that no man nor another person can do. In the stories “Growing My Hair Again” and “Kelemo’s Women,” there are acts of empowerment such as thinking about yourself and doing what is best for yourself as well. There is no need to point blame at anyone unwilling to fight or get out of an abusive relationship though there might be the possibility of being scared and nowhere to go. These stories well establish a theme and clear understanding that when you get the chance to make a better decision for yourself, go for it.
