Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta (1974): A Review

Title: Second Class Citizen

Author: Buchi Emecheta

Publication Year: 1974

Pages: 175

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Literary fiction, Postcolonial literature,

Source: Book

Have you ever read a novel whose characters invoke feelings of rage and fury so intense that the word "anger" feels inadequate? This is one of those novels that has provoked such emotions in me every time I’ve read it (three times so far). I know that if I read it again, I will feel the same fury, or even more! However, that doesn't mean it deserves anything less than five stars. The ability to evoke such strong feelings in readers earns this novel all the accolades!

"Second Class Citizen" by Buchi Emecheta, a Nigerian author, tells the story of Adah, the main character, who faces numerous struggles. Adah has always dreamed of obtaining an education and moving to the UK for a better life, eventually returning to Nigeria. Motivated by her father's views on the UK, Adah defines a singular purpose for herself: to get as much education as possible as a girl despite being deemed a second0class human being in her society and to eventually go to the UK. Nothing stands in her way—neither her mother, nor the loss of her father and the support he provided, nor living as an orphan and a servant to her cousin, nor experiencing physical violence! Her determination is unwavering. As long as she is on her own, she achieves her goals, earning an education and landing a first-class job as a librarian in Nigeria.

However, she encounters a significant obstacle. In a patriarchal society, the path to realizing dreams is never easy for women! This reality becomes evident from the very first page. Patriarchy, in all its forms, serves to suppress and crush our protagonist’s ambitions. Adah manages to reach many of her aspirations until she desires her own home and the opportunity to further her studies. The obstacle? A single woman cannot live alone. The solution? Marriage. What could possibly go wrong?

This is where Adah's soul-crushing husband, Francis, comes into play—the only means by which she can secure her own home and independence. Who would have imagined that a husband and marriage could stifle her dreams? Yet, when options are limited, one must make do! Adah tries to navigate the system using its own tools, but she makes a grave mistake by choosing the wrong partner. It is quite ironic that she has the agency to select a husband, yet her autonomy in the domestic sphere ends there. Initially, I believed that her dreams, which had seemed so vibrant in Africa, were crushed by her experiences of racism, sexism, and classism in England. However, the primary culprit turned out to be her husband and his peculiar patriarchal views because she had always found ways to overcome the limitations society imposed on her in the public sphere but it is the husband who dragged her deeper into despair and forced her into his position of inferiority.

At the end, to reclaim her freedom and pursue her dream of becoming a writer, Adah realizes she must remove her husband from her life. (Do not worry! We are not talking about murder!) As long as he is present, she sees no escape except to risk her life during one of his violent episodes or while enduring another fatal pregnancy. She must take control of her life once again, as she has always done, and finally finds the courage to do so by the end—albeit at a high cost!

At times, I felt anger towards Adah as well! I struggled to comprehend how she could continue living in fear and violence despite her strength in other aspects of her life. I was also angry at her for for internalizing some of the oppressive ideas of patriarchy to the point that it seemed she was her own enemy although she learn to be different, even though gradually. After all, she was the sole breadwinner, earning a good living both in Nigeria and England! She didn’t need her husband financially; he was merely a burden. Yet, I reminded myself that it’s easy to judge women who stay in violent situations without understanding their circumstances.

Overall, this novel powerfully represents an individual Nigerian woman battling on multiple fronts: racism, sexism, classism—you name it. However, her primary struggle has always been against the oppressive patriarchy of her own community, which is manifested in her husband and continues to haunt her even after moving to a different country. While she manages to triumph in public spaces, it is in the domestic sphere where she finds herself lacking agency and control.