Women, Marriage and Choices in Olu’Dolapo’s Omolewa

Abstract

Nigeria and the African continent at large practice patriarchal system and traditions that have been a criterion of giving an ideal standard of marriage. This view places women only at home, the kitchen and the “other room” (a reference to bed room as stated by Nigeria’s current President Mohammed Buhari) that have been so detrimental to most women’s wellbeing. Since many women in Africa are not able to prove themselves as capable of self-sufficiency in order to surmount Patriarchy, they become imbalanced both psychologically, emotionally, economically and physically. However, many feminine scholars have emerged in recent times, raising awareness, empowering and mobilizing women to fight against the intimidation and oppression from the opposite sex which has led so many women to make personal choices and especially in how, when and whom to marry. Olu’dolapo’s Omolewa is considered for the purpose of this paper to bring out the emerging and trending thematic concern about the topic of oppression and intimidation by the opposite sex. For analysis, Molara Ogundipe-Leslie’s Stiwanism is used as theoretical framework to do a deconstructive interpretation of the text. This paper argues that societal, religious or family laws should not bind any woman in a relationship that will deteriorate or even take her life completely. It recommends that women be allowed to make their choices of marriage partner.