CHAPTER THREE

A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE OF FLORA NWAPA’S EFURU

Biographical Background on Flora Nwapa

Florence Nwanzuruahu Nkiru Nwapa was born on January 13th, 1931 in Oguta, Nigeria. In

1953, she entered the University college of Nigeria and got her degree in 1957. Then in 1958 she

went to Edinburg University where she got an education diploma. In 1970, just after the Nigerian

civil War, she accepted to work in east central state as a Minister of Health and Social Welfare

At the age of 30 years old, Nwapa wrote her most famous novel Efuru, which was officially

published in 1966. Nwapa is the first Nigerian female writer to publish a book in English. Efuru

made her the precursor of African women writers. It also paved the way for feminism in Nigeria.

Nwapa had written several novels inclusing: Idu (1970), Never Again (1975) and Women Are

Different (1986). Additionally, she published two collections of short stories This is Lagos

(1971) and Wives at War in 1980.

Synopsis

Efuru is the story of a strong and independent woman named Efuru who lives in a small Igbo

town. Efuru comes from a respected family, and she is known for being kind and hardworking.

She marries a poor farmer named Adizua, even though her father does not approve of the

marriage. At first, Efuru and Adizua are very much in love. Efuru supports the marriage by

selling goods at the market while Adizua works on the farm. However, Efuru does not get

pregnant for nearly two years. Her family worries, but a traditional priest reassures them. Efuru

finally has a daughter named Ogonim. But Adizua becomes distant, staying out late and not

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eating Efuru's meals. He leaves for another town and never returns. Efuru believes he has taken a

second wife.

Efuru is an independent woman who is respected in the village for her business skills. She

undergoes female circumcision and hires a young maid named Ogea to help care for Ogonim.

Efuru is close with Adizua's mother Ossai and aunt Ajanupu, who teach her about marriage and

motherhood. Efuru continues to thrive. She is a successful trader and a generous member of the

community. When Ogonim gets sick, Efuru takes her to a traditional healer. But the healer dies

before he can treat Ogonim, and the girl passes away.

Efuru is devastated by the loss of her only child. She considers remarrying but ultimately decides

to remain single and focus on her business. Efuru is an exceptional woman who defies gender

norms and expectations. Though she faces many challenges, she maintains her independence and

dignity throughout her life.

Later, Efuru marries another man named Eneberi. But after several years of marriage, Efuru still

cannot have a child. Eneberi takes a second wife, Nkoyeni, who is able to give him a son. Efuru

becomes ill, and rumors spread that she has committed adultery. Eneberi does not believe Efuru's

protests of innocence, and they separate.

Throughout the story, Efuru is visited by dreams and visions of the goddess Uhamiri, who

represents wealth, beauty, and womanhood. However, Uhamiri does not have children, which

worries the other women in the town. They wonder if Efuru's inability to have children is

connected to her relationship with the goddess. In the end, Efuru is left questioning why women

worship Uhamiri if she does not have children, which is seen as an essential part of womanhood.

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The novel explores the challenges Efuru faces as a strong, independent woman in her traditional

Igbo society.

Marriage and Culture: Tools of Patriarchy and Female Oppression

In many African cultures, marriage and cultural practices often serve as mechanisms of female

oppression, reinforcing patriarchal norms that limit women’s freedom and autonomy. These

traditions can place women in submissive roles, where their worth is often measured by their

ability to conform to societal expectations, such as bearing children or adhering to strict gender

roles. In Flora Nwapa's Efuru, marriage and cultural norms are depicted as tools that perpetuate

male dominance, confining women to secondary positions and controlling their lives. For

instance, cultural expectations and the institution of marriage impose limitations on women’s

independence and self-expression. Through the character of Efuru, Nwapa critiques these

practices, showing how they contribute to the systemic oppression of women. Efuru's struggles

highlight how deeply ingrained cultural and marital norms can undermine women’s agency and

reinforce a patriarchal society.

As revealed in the novel, childlessness in marriage is often unfairly blamed on women, creating a

significant problem that reinforces the oppression of women within the institution of marriage.

This practice places an undue burden on women, holding them solely responsible for the failure

to produce children, while the role of men in this matter is frequently overlooked. This

expectation is a major way in which marriage is used to oppress women, as it imposes a form of

control and judgment over their bodies and lives. The unfair blame for childlessness reveals how

marriage, rather than being a partnership, can become a tool of female subjugation. The narrator

reveals that:

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 Efuru was very worried in the second year of her marriage. ‘My mother had only me,’

she said one night to herself. ‘My father told me so and also she found it difficult to

become pregnant. Am I going to be like my mother? But if I’m going to be like her,

then I too will have a daughter like her. But what if that is denied to me? What if that

also is denied to me? What will I do? Oh, what will I do?’ she wept (24)

This shows the level of pressure and anguish that childlessness brings to women in a patriarchal

society. Efuru's worry about potentially being like her mother, who struggled with infertility,

reflects the heavy burden placed on women to fulfill traditional roles and expectations. The fear

of being judged or excluded due to an inability to bear children exposes how marriage can

become a means of controlling and oppressing women. Rather than offering support, the cultural

emphasis on childbearing intensifies the suffering of women like Efuru.

Nwapa portrays Igbo society as strongly patriarchal with strict rules for how men and women

should behave. These rules greatly limit women's independence and reinforce the idea that Igbo

men are superior to women. It is important to note that Igbo people have been taught to see being

female as a sign of weakness. However, it is interesting that women are still raised to hold

important positions of authority and power in their society. At the beginning of the novel, we

meet Efuru, a determined woman who goes against tradition. She chooses to marry her first

husband, Adizua, without her father's permission and also marries a man who cannot pay her

bride price. When Adizua, confesses to Efuru that he does not have the money to pay the bride

price. She resolves that they are “going to proclaim themselves married” (7). Despite the

challenges, Efuru's actions show her defiance of traditional norms through her natural

determination. Efuru's main focus is on rejecting the tradition of mandatory marriage and

asserting her freedom to choose her own spouse. Efuru's feminism is evident because she

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successfully chooses a man she loves and refuses to conform to the patriarchal expectations of

her father.

Later in the novel, readers learn that the marriage falls apart due to Adizua's dishonest and

irresponsible behavior, which he inherits from his father. This behavior is traced back to

Adizua's father's marriage to his wife, Ossai. The novel reveals that “as a woman was married in

our days. He (Adizua’s father) paid his bride price in full and performed all the customs of our

people” (59). Like his father, Adizua abandons his wife, Efuru. In examining the reckless actions

of both father and son, it becomes clear that they move from a strong moral stance to immorality.

Adizua chooses to leave his wife, and this decision reveals his lack of depth and reliance on

Efuru's wisdom and wealth. The narrator reveals that “It was Efuru who was the brain behind the

business” (36) of their survival. Similarly, Efuru’s second marriage to Gilbert fails. Yet, as a

strong woman, Efuru does not let this setback define her. She takes charge of her own future,

seeking happiness elsewhere. Efuru transforms herself, achieves independence, and attains

wealth and success, surprising those around her. This highlights her feminist qualities, as she

prospers despite societal norms and obstacles. Efuru faces the significant issue of childlessness,

leading society members to view her as more like a man while she is with Adizua. The story

reveals their thoughts: “two men do not live together. To them Efuru was a man since she could

not reproduce” (23).

Efuru embodies the feminist idea of a woman asserting her independence and self-worth,

rejecting traditional expectations that women should remain in unfulfilling relationships. Her

actions challenge the norms of her society, advocating for women's right to choose their own

paths and assert their agency. According to the narrator:

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 Our ancestors forbid that I should wait for a man to drive me out of his house. This is

done to women who cannot stand by themselves, women who have no good homes, and

not to me, the daughter of Nwashike Ogene. And besides, my face is not burnt I’m still

a beautiful woman. (63-64)

Efuru is intelligent enough to be aware of her worth as a woman and, even better, she knows her

potential as a human being. Nwapa does not depict Efuru as a woman who can stand suffering.

Clearly, Efuru is depicted as a woman who does not need nor let any man define her. Her barren

nature leads Adizua to abandon her for another woman. Even when their child dies, he refuses to

visit her, leaving her to endure the pain alone (93-94). As a man, he fails to share in the burden

of the death of their child. Despite these disappointments, Efuru is not held back. From a

feminist perspective, Efuru’s strength and independence exemplify her refusal to be defined by

her relationships with men. Her ability to move forward and find her own path underscores her

resilience and challenges the traditional expectations of women, highlighting the feminist theme

of women's autonomy and self-determination.

Efuru illustrates how marriage and cultural practices can be tools of patriarchy and female

oppression. Through the experiences of Efuru, we see how societal expectations and traditional

norms confine women to subordinate roles, often unfairly blaming them for issues like

childlessness. Despite these oppressive structures, Efuru's resilience and determination challenge

these norms. Her ability to maintain her independence and assert her self-worth in the face of

adversity underscores a powerful feminist message: women should not be defined or limited by

traditional expectations. Nwapa's portrayal of Efuru highlights the need to question and reform

cultural practices that cause inequality and to support women's right to live freely.

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Efuru's Resilience as a Feminist Triumph for Women's Empowerment

Efuru’s resilience shows a powerful example of feminist strength and women’s empowerment as

she faces not only oppression from her husbands but also harsh cultural practices like female

circumcision. The story calls this practice “a cultural and traditional sexual-oriented prescription

supposed to define woman's identity” (10). Such practices, along with other societal

expectations, create major challenges for African women who want to gain respect and equality.

Even though these customs are difficult, Efuru bravely accepts them, seeing them as important

for her community. Her ability to endure and challenge these traditions highlights her strength

and shows how she fights for her own empowerment and independence.

Efuru’s refusal to endure unjust suffering for an irresponsible husband underscores her

commitment to self-worth and autonomy. In the novel, Efuru is heard saying:

Perhaps self-imposed suffering appeals to her. It does not appeal to me. I know I’m

capable of suffering for greater things. But to suffer for a truant, an irresponsible

husband like Adizua is to debase suffering. My own suffering will be noble. When

Adizua comes back, I shall leave him (61-62).

This statement emphasizes Efuru's determination to reject the notion of suffering for unworthy

causes. Her choice to seek a life aligned with her values rather than endure for the sake of an

unreliable partner showcases her strength and feminist resolve. Efuru's actions exemplify the

idea that true empowerment comes from standing up for oneself. Despite all her hardships, she

remains an independent and strong woman. She overcomes her disappointments by standing up

to the dishonesty of her two husbands and questioning the different roles and responsibilities of

men and women, especially in marriage. She deduces that “marriage is like picking a parcel from

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numerous parcels. If you are lucky, you pick up a valuable one” (96). In her view, marriage is

not easy or always pleasant but full of challenges. This kind of resilience shows she is a character

who persistently overcomes any difficulties in her male-dominated society.

It should be noted that Efuru believed her “bride price must be paid. I must see that this is done”

(10). This not only highlights her as a woman of strong beliefs but also shows her commitment to

cultural practices that define her as a woman of integrity. She understands that her status as a

married woman is secured once her bride price is paid. Additionally, Efuru shows skill, strength,

and maturity in dealing with issues of male dominance. When her husband began to criticize her

for coming home late from the dance of her age grade who was “performing the ceremony of the

second burial of her father and so they went to dance with her” (29), she aptly settles for peace

by singing this song; “My dear husband, don’t kill me. Listen to me first before you pass

judgement…” (30). Her response here shows Efuru’s wisdom and strength, as she handles

conflicts calmly and sensibly. Her skill in managing tough situations with confidence shows her

clear understanding of her cultural duties and her own limits.

At the end of the novel, Efuru decides to focus on herself, moving away from the traditional role

expected of women and embracing her own path. By choosing to follow the goddess of the lake,

Uhamiri, Efuru breaks free from imposed roles and shows her personal growth. She chooses to

find fulfillment on her own rather than relying on anyone else. Efuru reflects an independent

spirit who doesn’t cling to unimportant things. She also firmly rejects returning to her second

husband after he wrongly accused her of adultery, which left her feeling humiliated and

disappointed. She realizes that to find true peace and happiness, she only needs herself. As the

following description shows:

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 Efuru slept soundly that night. She dreamt of the woman of the lake, her beauty, her

long hair and her riches. She had lived for ages at the bottom of the lake. She was as old

as the lake itself. She was happy, she was wealthy. She was beautiful. She gave women

beauty and wealth but she had no child. (221)

Efuru’s dream reveals her true inner self. She is a woman who, despite her beauty and wealth,

finds true happiness even though she will never become a mother again. Her life becomes

meaningful because she has finally discovered a purpose and sense of fulfillment in her

existence.

In summary, Efuru's journey in Efuru exemplifies a powerful feminist triumph and highlights her

strength and independence. Despite facing oppressive traditions and personal challenges,

including difficult marriages and harsh cultural practices, Efuru consistently demonstrates

resilience and self-worth. Her ability to confront and reject unfair suffering, seek fulfillment on

her own terms, and stand up for herself against male dominance reflects her deep commitment to

personal empowerment. Efuru's final choice to embrace her own path and find peace and

happiness within herself showcases her ultimate triumph over societal constraints. Through her

story, Nwapa presents a compelling portrayal of how resilience and self-empowerment can

challenge and overcome patriarchal norms.