De cidadã de segunda classe ao fundo do poço: queda e ascensão sociais de Adah nas obras de Buchi Emecheta

Abstract

This research proposes an analysis of the works Second-Class Citizen (1974) and In the Ditch (1972), by Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta, from the perspective of cultural studies, black feminism, and intersectionality. Based on the trajectory of the protagonist Adah, the work seeks to reflect on themes such as identity, patriarchal oppression, racism, social class, and migration, connecting the challenges faced by the character to the realities experienced by many black, poor, and immigrant women. Divided into three chapters, the study contextualizes Nigeria historically and analyzes Adah's development as a character amidst adversities that mark her process of personal and social maturation. The first chapter discusses how the concepts of identity and colonialism shape Adah's life since her childhood, using authors such as Hall (2006, 2003), Bilge and Collins (2020), among others. The second chapter deepens into the strands of black and decolonial feminism, addressing how the exclusion of black women from the first waves of feminism influenced the emergence of movements that articulate race, class and gender in an integrated way, using authors such as Davis (2016), hooks (2019), Vergés (2020) and Lugones (2020). The third chapter introduces the theory of intersectionality, expanding the protagonist's analysis by considering the multiple layers of oppression that she experiences as a black, Nigerian woman, single mother and immigrant, based on authors such as Crenshaw (1989) and Akotirene (2019). In addition to the theoretical analysis, the dissertation analyzes the literary elements of the works, observing aspects such as Adah's narrative arc, the point of view used by Emecheta, and the protagonist's role as a heroine outside the standards imposed by the patriarchal and capitalist society, bringing together authors such as Moretti (2020), Genette (1979), Friedman (2002), and Lukács (2000). The Nigerian author, whose life trajectory has parallels with that of her character, writes with a strong autobiographical tone, social criticism, and acid humor, giving her narrative fiction a character of denunciation and resistance. The relevance of the work lies in bringing visibility to African literature written by women, which is still little discussed in the Portuguese language. By combining literary analysis and social criticism, the research highlights the power of literature as an instrument of empowerment and awareness, especially for black and marginalized women. Thus, it contributes to broadening the academic debate on the multiple forms of oppression faced by these women, in addition to encouraging the recognition of their voices and experiences. The analysis revealed Adah as an individual fragmented by the different cultural influences and social pressures that surround her, in constant disagreement with the modern world in which she is inserted.