SECOND CLASS CITIZEN BY BUCHI EMECHETA
INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN PROSE
Subject: Literature-in-English
Theme:
Topic: Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta (Prose)
Sub Topic:
Date: dd/mm/yyyy
Class: S.S 3
Average Age: 16 years and above
Duration: 40 Minutes
No of Learners: 40
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Discuss the BIOGRAPHY OF the Novelist
Florence Onyebuchi Emecheta was born on (July 21, 1944 Lagos Nigeria). She dies January 25, 2017, London, England. An Igbo writer whose novels deals largely with the difficult and unequal roles of women in both immigrant and African societies and explore the tension between tradition and modernity. Her parents where from Ummeze Okolo Odeanta, village in Ibusu Delta State.Her father was a railway workers and moulders due to the gender biase of the time, the young Buchi was initially kept at home while her younger brothers were sent to school, but after perueding her parents to consider the benefit of her education, she spent her early childhood at all girls missionary school when she was 9 years old her father died.
A year old later, Emecheta received a full scholarship to Methodist Christ School in Yaba Lagos, where she remained till the age of 16, during an orphan in 1960 she married Sylvester Onwordi, a school boy to who she had engaged to since she was 11 years old. Later that year she gave birth to a daughter and in 1961 their younger son was born.
Onwordi immediately moved to London to attend a university and Emecheta joined him there with their first two children in 1962. She gave birth to four children in six years, two daughter and two son, their marriage was unhappy and sometimes violent. At the age of 22, pregnant with the fifth child, she left her husband while working to support her children alone.
Career of the Novelist: Following her success as an author, she travelled widely as a visiting professor and lecturer. She visited several American Universities from 1980 – 1981. She was a senior resident fellow and visiting professor of England. She also worked as a cultural and literal organizations as a member of advisory council. She suffered a stroke in 2010 and died in London on 25 January 2017, aged 72. Most of her fictional works are focused on sexual discrimination and racial prejudice informed by her own experience as both a single parent and a black woman living in the United Kingdom.
2. Disuss the Background of the Novel.
The novel is written by Buchi Emecheta in 1983. The novel is a fictional autobiography drawn from the personal experience of the author.Second class citizen depicts different struggles woman passes through in her life, Buchi in her early days stayed at home while her younger brother goes to school. She struggles to get education, marry and survive the environment in which she finds herself.
Family life is not left out in the story, she lost her father and was taken to her uncles house. She marries and faces the challenges in marriage. Ada later moved to England where she becomes a second – class citizen with various challenges.
3. Explain the SETTING OF THE NOVEL.
The novel is written in the post colonial ear, it has two major locations. Nigeria, Ada’s father house and her husband’s house, England, where she ceased to be a Nigerian first class citizen to second class citizen.4. Discuss THE PLOT OF THE NOVEL
The story started with Ada, the protagonist of the novel. Ada is stuck at home with her mother who pays little or no attention to her. Her brother is allowed to go to school, her father is always away for work.It has always been Ada’s intention to go to school one day, she sneaks out from the house and runs to a school. She has met the teacher previously and so believe that he will accept her in her class. She disrupts the class in the her mode of entrance. The pupils stare at her the teacher was all smiles and allows her to her class.
Ada has a dream of going to the United Kingdom to study, she is troubled each time she remembers that she is not allowed to go to school because she is a girl, the family does not want to spend money on her but she has her own plans. She continue to go to the school which later puts her mother into trouble.
Ada’s father dies and she goes to live with her uncle, all her father’s money was spent on boy her brother’s education she attends a very poor school on the only reason that her bride price will be high upon marriage. She remains responsible and was preserved by her desire to survive. Several times she refused to marry on a second thought, she decided to see marriage as getting a job.
There, she will be taking care of her husband and children, she will save money and travel to the United Kingdom with her family to study, she continues to pray that her dream of going to England comes true. A letter comes for Francis her husband that will go to England to study. While, Ada stays at lion and takes care of the family. She is raped at this development but later controls herself, she quotes to herself “Be as cunning as a serpent and as blameless as a dove”. She works at home and sends money to him.
Francis writes to Ada, telling her that he has to stay up to four – five years, Ada conviences her inlaws that her husband needs her in England. She books first class tickets for her two children and herself on a shit to England. Her troubles in England begins as she is welcomed by cold, rainy and cloudy skies. She sees them as fore shadowing of what awaits her. She is now in the United Kingdom as a second class citizen.
In England, she is discriminated against by the whites because she is a black. Her own people there were also against her for refusing to abide by the prescribed rules for women.
Francis, her husband became a loafer, he beats Ada and sleeps with other women. Ada continues to take care of the family of four plus the one in her womb. He wage at the British Museum where she works as a librarian is her only source of income, her child contracts meningitis and was poorly treated because of her race.
Ada’s husband continues to treat her like a common property, she leaves him and hisse a sign of relief, she feels lonely for something and emerges a survivor. She realize the need to take care of her children alone.
Francis bad personality plays of, he impose dominance over his wife, Ada, he plays infidelity on her with trudy. He abandons Ada shattered, Ada finally decidesto get divorced from Francis, this was not easy through she finally abandons Francis and leaves with her four children.
5. Discuss THE THEMES OF THE NOVEL
These themes includes;1. Racism
2. Gender inequality/discrimination
3. Dream/aspiration and realization
4. Domestic violence
5. Immigration/migration
6. Motherhood
7. Determination
8. Family
9. Discrimination
(i) THEME OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION/PREJUDICE RACISM
One of the themes of the novel second class citizen is racism. Racism in this context is an ideology that sees a race, person or people as superi or which the other is inferior and should not belong to the same class or have anything in common. This is a dominant one in the novel and affects Adau, the protagonist together with her husband, Francis.In England, the blacks including Ada and her family live in the migrant neigbourhood, different from the whites. The reason is not that they cannot afford the rent. Their only crime was that they are blacks. Fine comfortable area and accommodation is meant for the whites. The blacks are seen as inferiors or worse still less humans. This is racism against migrant Africans.
Again, Ada is a Nigerian Degree holder, this is supposed to fetch her a lucrative job, but because she is a black, a second class citizen, the only job she was able to secure was the one that fetches her a daily wages as a Librarian. Another instance of racial discrimination in the novel is when Ada’s son contracted meningitis. Ada has money for standard medical treatment in a good hospital. That was denied them because of their race, black, they were rather referred to sub-standard hospital.
(ii) THEME OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION
Gender is the theory of sex – male or female. Gender discrimination is an act of treating a person more favourably than the other because of his/her sex. This is one of major themes in Second Class Citizen.In the novel, it was narrated that Ada’s family was expecting a male child when Ada was born, to their disappointment. Hence Ada was not taken care of physically, emotionally and otherwise.
Ada was not sent to school because she is a girl. But her younger brother, boy was sent to a good school. In her uncle’s house, she was discriminated against because she is a female child. The story did not change, in other top at a reasonable bride price when she marries, she was sent to a very poor school, she was still left to cater for her education because of her gender.
In her husband house, she is never invited to the family meetings, she is a woman, she sees herself in a society where women are considered insignificant. They are seen but not hearted.
Francis has to travel abroad leaving her at home. According to Pa, a woman is not supposed to travel and leave the husband behind.
All these point out the gender discrimination and inequality. The male folk are given favourable treatment and judgement.
(iii) THEME OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
This is another strong central message of the novel, Second Class Citizen, Francis, Ada’s husband believes that Ada’s place as a woman is stuck at home bearing children. Ada therefore is found between Challvinism and social struggles. She works and strives to support their home. Francis her husband, never for once appreciated it. Francis exerts his male dominance on Ada. He tores Ada’s menu scripts of The Bride Price. This leaves Ada emotionally shattered. He did not stop there, he beats Ada at every little provocation. He continued his chawrinstic tendencies on Ada even at pregnancy. In one occasion, Ada sustained swollen lips and injured fingers from his beating. This domestic violence. She couldn’t bear them anymore and decided to leave him.6. List the CHARACTER/CHARACTERIZATION in the novel
The characters include;1. Ada,
2. Francis,
3. Ada’s Ma,
4. Ada’s Pa,
5. Francis Ma,
6. Francis Pa,
7. Trudy,
8. Vicky,
9. Titi,
10. Dada,
11. Mr. & Mrs. Noble,
12. Mr. Cole,
13. Buchi,
14. Dr. Hudson,
15. Boy Cousin,
16. Vincent etc.
Explain the LITERARY DEVICES
Diction: Diction in literature refers to the writer’s choice of words. In Buchi Emecheta’s Second Class Citizen, the choice of words is quite simple and familiar. An average reader can read the novel with the ease the writer used simple and familiar words such as.There are few words which may pose a little challenge to the reader. These words include:
(a) Point of View: This is the angle or direction from which a story is narrated. The story in Second Class Citizen is told from the third person point of view. Hence, the narrator is able omniscient. He focuses on Ada his personal experiences, emotions and interpretations. This point of view enables the narrator to read the mind of the characters.
(b) Allusion: Allusion refers to the act of making references in literary work. A writer can allude to the bible, history, persons, science literary work etc. In Second Class Citizen Buch Emeche made both biblical and classical Allusion Example are:
a. Adah alluded to the paradoxical statement of Jesus when she said that we should be as clever as the serpent and blameless as a dove.
b. In the hospital, Adah said that the sound of the bell of the ambulance that comes to take her reminds her of the judgment day.
(c) Foreshadowing: This is a literary term that foretells what will happen later in the novel, examples are;
a. When Ada sneaked out and batched into the class, the pupils jeered at her but the teacher was all smiles for her. This foreshows that her dreams and aspiration to be educated was coming true despite all odds.
b. When she arrived at London, she was welcomed by cloudy and rainy weather, she sees them as foreshadowing of the troubles and hardship that await her in her new Country.
Discuss the FIGURES OF SPEECH use in the novel
(a) Personification: Ada personifies river Oboshi in her town in Nigeria when she said, “Oil was discovered near her and the allowed the oil men to dig into her. Going further she wonders that the river lacks attention of all that was joining on and said that she must be in a R.Dvan.(b) Euphenism: Buchi Emecheta used various expressions which illustrates euphemism in the novel. Examples are:
i. As soon as her husband touches her shepets as swollen tummy
ii. is it too much for a man to want his wife
(c) Smile: Instance where simile was used in the novel include:
i. After Ada and Francis married they are described as carrying a bag of money like a delicate baby.
ii. When Francis agrees to the plan of going to the United Kingdom, the smile on his face was like a warm sunshine after a thunderous rain.
iii. When it was concluded that only Francis will travel to London, Ada saw her life being shattered like a broken glass.
Rationale:
Second class citizen depicts different struggles woman passes through in her life, Buchi in her early days stayed at home while her younger brother goes to school. She struggles to get education, marry and survive the environment in which she finds herself. Family life is not left out in the story, she lost her father and was taken to her uncles house. She marries and faces the challenges in marriage. Ada later moved to England where she becomes a second – class citizen with various challenges.Prerequisite/ Previous knowledge:
Storyings, songs, history etc.Learning Resources:
Flash cards, an audio video youtube examples, Available useful objects.Reference Materials:
1. Exam focus on Literature in English by J.O.J Nwachukwu et’al.2. Standard literature in English vol.4 by Tony Duru
3. Ilozue R.O.C (2018) Authority on Literature in English for schools and colleges
4. Internet sources
5. Second Class Citizen bt Buchi Emecheta
Lesson Development:
STAGE |
TEACHER'S ACTIVITY |
LEARNER'S ACTIVITY |
LEARNING POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEP 1: INTRODUCTION Individual Student |
The teacher asks the students the following questions: 1. List and explain the Characteristics of Literature. 2. List and explain the Types of Literature. 3. What are the Functions of Literature? |
The students expected answers:1. Characteristics of literaturei. Fictional and Non-fictional: Literature can either be based on real events (non-fiction) or entirely invented (fiction).ii. Aesthetic: Literature is written with attention to artistic beauty and style. iii. Affective: It often evokes emotions and engages the reader on a deep, personal level. iv. Expressive: Literature is a form of self-expression, where authors convey their thoughts, emotions, and ideas. v. Language-based: It uses words as its primary medium, relying on the power of language to create meaning and effect. 2. Types of Literaturei. Written Literature: This includes works that have been written down, such as novels, poems, and plays. It is the most common form in modern times, as writing allows for the preservation and distribution of literary works.ii. Oral Literature: This form includes spoken or performed literature, such as folktales, riddles, songs, and proverbs. Oral literature was especially important in ancient times and is still practiced in many cultures today. 3. Functions of Literaturei. Entertainment: Literature entertains by providing readers with enjoyable stories, poetry, and drama. It helps to create a pleasurable mood and often offers an escape from reality.ii. Reflection of Human Existence: Literature reflects the realities of human life, relationships, and experiences. Through stories and characters, it provides insight into the human condition. iii. Education: Literature educates by teaching readers about different cultures, life lessons, and human behaviors. It broadens our understanding of the world and other people. iv. Cultural Transmission: Literature preserves and transmits cultural values, traditions, and beliefs. It allows people to learn about their own heritage as well as that of others. v. Language Development: Literature enriches our use of language, introducing new vocabulary, phrases, and ways of thinking. vi. Emotional Growth: By connecting with characters and stories, readers gain a deeper understanding of their own emotions and those of others. vii. Moral Guidance: Many literary works explore themes of right and wrong, helping readers to think about ethical decisions and moral values. viii. Global Awareness: Literature brings together diverse perspectives, making the world a global village by sharing knowledge and experiences from different parts of the world. |
Identification of Prior Ideas |
| STEP 2: EXPLORATION Entire Class |
The teacher’s leads the students to understand that the novel is a fictional autobiography drawn from the personal experience of the author.
Second class citizen depicts different struggles woman passes through in her life, Buchi in her early days stayed at home while her younger brother goes to school. She struggles to get education, marry and survive the environment in which she finds herself.
Family life is not left out in the story, she lost her father and was taken to her uncles house. She marries and faces the challenges in marriage.
Ada later moved to England where she becomes a second – class citizen with various challenges. The novel is written/set in the post colonial ear, it has two major locations. Nigeria, Ada’s father house and her husband’s house, England, where she ceased to be a Nigerian first class citizen to second class citizen. |
The students should write down what the teacher explains and listen attentively. | Background and setting of the Novel |
|
|
|||
| STEP 3: DISCUSSION Entire class |
The teacher discuss the character of the protagonist of the novel 'Ada'. Adah Ofili is the daughter of Pa and ma Ofili, she is the protagonist of the novel, she was born into their family when the family was expecting a male child and so she was wholly neglected, she was given little or not attention. Adah was derived the early children care and education because of her sex, she was never sent to school as they believed that female’s education ends in the kitchen of another man’s home, she has a dream of getting education and travel to United Kingdom, so it pains her each time she remembers that she is not allowed to go to school. One day she sneaked out from their house and ran to a school owned by a church near their house. But boy attends school, Adah was highly discriminated against her because of her gender. Pa dies, Ada was sent to go and live with her uncle, she became a slave, she was later sent to school to get a reasonable bride price when she marries she endures series of sufferings but was determined to go to school. Ada got married to Francis, she works hard and support her family, she sponsors Francis trip abroad. Francis travels and sge was at home looking after the family she later joined her husband in Landon. In London, she suffers Francis male dominance and Calvinism, she suffers the dark side of Francis. She was beaten and cheated on with Trudy her menu scripton The Bride Price was torn by him. She was shattered, even with pregnancy her husband beats her to the extent of sustaining swollen lips. Asidethe dark side of Francis, Ada Odili also suffered racial discrimination from the white, but she did not give up. Francis bad behaviour worsen and she divorces him and move away with her five children. |
The students discuss all the other characters in the novel. | Better understanding of characters/characterization of the novel |
| The teacher listed all the themes in the novel 1. Racism 2. Gender inequality/discrimination 3. Dream/aspiration and realization 4. Domestic violence 5. Immigration/migration 6. Motherhood 7. Determination 8. Family 9. Discrimination |
The students explain the themes listed by the teacher, they take corrections where they are wrong. | Being able to explain the themes of the novel | |
|
| |||
| STEP 4: APPLICATION Entire class |
The teacher ask the students to read through all they have copied and give more discussion/explanation as directed by the teacher. They take corrections where they are wrong. | The students did what the teacher ask them to do. | Better understanding of the novel. |
| STEP 5: EVALUATION Individual students |
The teacher asks the students questions to test them. 1. What is the background of the novelist? 2. What is the background setting of the novel "Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta. 3. Discuss five themes of the novel. 4. List and explain three literary devices use in the novel. |
The students respond to the questions correctly. | Asking the learners questions to assess the achievement of the set objectives. |
| ASSIGNMENT | The teacher gives learners take home. Write a plot summary of the novel. |
The learners copy the assignment | Better understanding of Novel. |