Ideological Ambivalence In Gracy Osifo’s The Dizzy Angel

By
Olufolabi, Olubunmi Tayo
Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Nigeria.
07069716735
tayosmatts@gmail.com

Key Words: Ambivalence, religion and culture.

ABSTRACT

Female emancipation has become a topical issue in the 21 st century in Africa and the world in
general. Female authors and some male authors have considered it their duty to write or speak
out against female oppressions; amidst these authors is Gracy Osifo. Gracy Osifo in her text The
Dizzy Angel, launched out against cultural oppression of women, and in her attempt to give new
ideas to the females for a better tomorrow became uncertain in her ideas. These uncertainties led
to the questioning of her ideology as a feminist writer.

This paper attempts to examine these uncertainties and to justify that her conclusion is
patriarchal and oppressive to the women whom she advocates for, thereby making a beautiful
edifice ambivalent in nature. In conclusion this paper proposes that for female emancipation to
be fully accomplished, it will take the merging of two divergent cultures without competition and
strife.

Introduction

Many contemporary novels and other forms of literary works can only be fully understood and
appreciated in the light of the theoretical ideas which the writer appropriates and reworks. Most
African writers’ works have been placed under the theoretical beam light to make it challenging
and easy to analyze. Works of authors like Femi Osofisan, Festus Iyayi have been classified as
socialist/realist based on the quality of their works; while Mariama Ba, Akachi-Adimora
Ezeigbo, Buchi Emecheta are seen as feminist writers.

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Gracy Osifo (though not as popularly heard of as her feminist contemporaries; this may be due to
her few works or unavailability of her texts) has been in the game for a long time webbing her
own influence the best way she knows; her works, especially the novels, have focused on the lot
of the woman. She is concerned about both the educated and the uneducated woman, and the
forces of subjugation against these women. The themes of liberation, feminism, parental care,
cultural hybridity are what her writings concentrate on.

Feminism as a theory has cut across cultures, and drawn on multiple and contradictory traditions
while presenting what is arguably one of the most fundamental challenges to previous critical
orthodoxies in its revaluation of subjectivity and category of ‘experience’. Generally, we can
agree with Ruth Sherry (1976) that feminism has two aspects: first, it identifies the inequalities
and injustices in the way girls and women are treated in a particular society, and the disabilities
and disadvantages which result from these. A primary aim of feminism is to eliminate
mistreatment and unequal treatment of women, at the same time understand that the exact
situation of women can differ enormously in different cultures and at different stages of history.
The second aspect of feminism is that it asserts the value of women, the human dignity and
worth of each woman and also the distinctive contributions that these women make to their
culture.

In most societies and cultures the male is regarded as the norm, as the central and neutral
position from which the female is a departure. The woman is seen as inferior to the male gender
thereby causing the women devaluation in the society. Patriarchy is the phenomenon that has
rendered the female folk vulnerable over the years. Some critics have stated that the area of
patriarchy which is influenced by religion, tradition, customs, norms and beliefs is a no go area,
since tradition or culture cannot die, and the ‘woman’s umbilical cord is still tied to tradition’.

Religion which Karl Marx (1997) has simply described as an opium for the poor to get poorer
and the rich to be enriched has shifted focus, and has become the opium for the subjugation of
women. In short, religion in all of its elements can be said to be patriarchal; whether it is
Christianity, Islamic or traditional religion, they all have forms of oppression affixed to them. As
Omolara-Leslie Ogundipe has correctly asked:

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 …sexiest ideas in the bible, without criticism, with preference for the old
testament ideas and the Pauline section of the new testament, stressing
only verses on male domination? Should we adopt koranic ideas to
modern times or continue to beat the recalcitrant woman lightly as said
in the fourth sura of the Koran

Though the statement was made in response to theological feminists who felt the tenets of the
Bible or the Koran should be sustained, when treating the issues of feminism, one cannot but
agree with Ogundipe that even these religions have been a form of subjugation to women and the
adoption of their tenets destructive to womanhood.

It is safe to think that feminist literature has played and will continue to play a useful role in
Africa, namely: the creation of awareness that the woman is important; that both sexes are
complimentary in the building of a stable and progressive world, and, that there is a good need to
reject unfavourable aspects of male-female relationship, especially those endorsed by asinine
customs, religion and questionable modern legislation.

Ambivalence in Dizzy Angel

A representative novel that illustrates this feministic vision is Gracy Osifo’s Dizzy Angel (1986).
This novel is studied as an example for some reasons. The first is that it explores feminism in an
environment where tradition is inherently their life and daily devotion. It also shifts focus from
the illiterate to the semi-literate and finally to the literate on how to express feminist acts.
Secondly, the exploration of feminism in this novel is mostly devoid of derogatory outbursts that
are found in novels that aspire mainly to degrade masculinity in their pursuit of feminist
objectives. The novel contains intellectualized arguments on important issues ranging from
female literacy, choice of marriage partner to polygamy etc. Finally, the novel advocacy for
rationalized women is watered down due to the subconscious belief of the writer, thereby
causing ambivalence in such a beautiful edifice.

First and foremost, the text Dizzy Angel shows uncertainty towards feminism by implying that
the parity of sexes may not be totally achieved in Nigerian/African context. Ambivalence
manifests itself in the showcasing of male and female characters; in the handling of the themes of
childlessness and motherhood and themes of marriage. The death of strong females and allowing
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the obsolete ones like Adafor and Obiageli to remain on the scene is contradictory, and does not
give room to the growth of female emancipation in the text.

Strong females are either dead or silenced by tradition. Adorie is strong, caring and a loving
woman, and would have been a good feminist icon but for childlessness which rendered her
voiceless. Most feminist authors are fully aware of what childlessness can do to an African
woman; therefore, in a bid to encourage her she is being advised to look inward and produce her
joy not by dependence on these children just like NnuEgo in Joys of Motherhood by Buchi
Emecheta. Atiti, though childless, was portrayed as strong by Gracy, yet culture labeled her a
witch and a stereotyped female who is more of a male than a female. Compared to her brother,
Uloji, who displayed effeminate attributes and was considered relevant because he was an
Olokun priest and a prolific sperm donor (which qualifies him as a ‘prolific father’), Atiti was
tough and wicked causing her being stigmatized and feared in the village. She is therefore not a
good role model for upcoming women in the society.

Obsolete females like Obiageli are allowed to espouse the flag of female emancipation, a woman
who depends solely on her mother’s wit and wisdom to run her home. Adorie encourages her
thus:

Don’t worry yourself anymore, my sister. She will be well soon. When
your mother comes she will know what to do. (8)

After the demise of her mother she entrusted the reins of her life to her husband, who gladly took
over. In the case of Miss Bricks, she did not stay long to fan the flames of freedom, which she
started, due to her departure for England leaving behind budding girls who are still new and can
be easily swayed.

As earlier discussed at the beginning of this paper, religion is a subjugating factor that limits
women, and can be termed an opium that allows a woman to be treated and labeled the ‘Other
sex’. In the text of study, the role which religion played cannot be overemphasized. The
traditional and Christian religions are placed side by side by the author, and it is evident that she
places the Christian religion above the traditional religion on the basis that the traditional religion
hinders the growth of women, and limits her to certain functions in the society.

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Religion in this text is a means of controlling the human mind, most especially, the women.
Ogbanje , the spirit child, needs a means of escape from the claws of death and the only solution
given to her by tradition is to marry an Olokun priest for her life to be redeemed. This act of
arranged marriage based on circumstance is frowned at, and the solution proffered by the author
is the rejection of this practice that does not allow a woman choose her own husband, and this
she does by first allowing Ogbanje to be amidst women who instigated her against such
unconventional act, and the final blows of rejection is the acceptance of the Christian religion. A
religion which the author believes allows one the freedom of choosing one’s life partner. Yet, in
the text, there are visible signs of the Christian religion encouraging arranged marriage, because
the religion also dictates one’s life partner. Ogbanje thus asked Miss Bricks on this issue:

Can I be a Christian and still marry the juju priest? Ogbanje asked; no,
answered Miss Bricks, that cannot be possible. No Christian should ever
marry a non-christian it would be like marrying light to darkness. They
are two opposite poles, unless, of course the non-christian gets
converted, and becomes a Christian. 190-191

The above excerpt shows that the Christian religion is patriarchal and separatist in nature,
because it limits one’s choice of a marriage partner to a certain group, and it extols itself as a
religion of light while the rest are considered darkness- the rest include religions which do not
have the same mode of worship or do not have the same vision and mission like the Christian
religion. Just like the traditional religion, the Christian religion has proven to be sentimental
towards a particular group. Therefore it does not promote equality; rather it promotes discord and
tension within the community.

This same religious tension is described in House of Symbols (HOS) by Akachi-Adimora

Ezeigbo, one is aghast at the tension that exists between the traditionalists and Christians. The
Amaala (traditionalists) hold on to the past without stretching their hands to the future, while the
new religion (Christianity) does not want to know about the past. To them, the past is dead and
full of sin (. This kind of extremism will definitely unleash a ‘war of destruction’ on the lives of
people in the community and on ‘communal peace’. The ‘communal peace’ of Bebiri was
disrupted because of these religions, in the words of Ezenwayi who described the savagery of
Christianity:
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 Wearing the garb of piety, they infest the community with a longing for
strange ways their soul lust after. Rootless themselves, they uproot the
pillars that hold up our home and leave us without shelter. (51, HOS)

This same religion is what Moses adopts and believes in, but his acceptance of the religion is
childish and unacceptable because it shows that the religion is based on sentimental feelings.
This sentiment is shown in the acceptance of the Christian religion by Moses in the bid to think
less of Ogbanje who happens to be his father’s betrothed.

Another person that persistently occupied Moses thoughts was Ogbanje.

He found himself dreaming about her both day and night. This made him
very uncomfortable. He knew too well that it was forbidden for a son to
think of his father’s wife…in his bid to think less of her he became more
religious. 167

What then is Christianity all about? A religion accepted to conceal biological tendencies?

Christianity as depicted in the text is a religion that saves one from the bond of captivity which is
exemplified by arranged marriage. After the acceptance of the Christian religion by Ogbanje, she
fled from home on the day on her marriage to Uloji. Her running away is a sign of disobedience,
but was justified by the author as a means of survival and freedom from the shackles of arranged
marriage. This type of religion encourages disobedience to a higher authority, not minding the
aftermath of one’s action. This religion therefore causes strive amidst family, it separates a child
from his/her family, just like the biblical example that says Jesus has come with the mission to
cause division between families, friends etc.

On the disappearance of Ogbanje, the family of Uloji descended heavily on Ogbanje’s home. It
became a power tussle between traditional and Christian religion. This battle did not just end
within Dolise’s compound, it shifted force to Ogbanje. Though far from home, the fury of Uloji
and Atiti found her out. Indeed there was no hiding place for her.

At the beginning of the third term, Ogbanje felt weak most of the time.
She wondered what was happening to her. She went to the General
hospital, drank all the medicines she was given, but she still felt weak.
256

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This was the starting point of Ogbanje’s sickness. The spell on her was so great that she could
not attend classes anymore, but her saving grace came in form of her new religion, because after
days of prayers her attackers were reduced to nothing; they died a day after each other. This
death means the obstacle blocking her way to marriage has been broken; she is now free to marry
the man of her choice.

Ironically, the man of her choice happens to be Moses, Uloji’s first son, a Christian and apparent
heir to the throne of Olokun priesthood. The prayer of Ogbanje was answered, she not only
marries the man of her choice, who also has the blood ties of an Olokun priest, and she is also
saved from death. The oracle’s prediction concerning Ogbanje is achieved.

The text Dizzy Angel, though has exemplified the values and rights of the woman, it is however
a text that is ambivalent in its conclusion, because the segregation of woman through traditional
religion which the author is against happens to be the saving grace of the woman in the text. The
traditional religion which is described as a religion that accommodates the slavery of women and
the maltreatment of women is not different from the Christian religion which is assumed to be a
religion of equality; both religions are a means of enslaving the woman and limiting her to
certain roles in the society.

Conclusion

This paper posits that Gracy Osifo in a bid to justify one religion over the other has indirectly
killed the past, and made the future look gloomy for the coming generation, who are at a
crossroad of religious indecisiveness. Borrowing the words of Ezenwayi (HOS) ‘We must
repossess all that is valuable in our culture and fuse it with what is of benefit to us from other
people’s culture. (50)

To therefore have an emancipated future for the woman, she must not rely dogmatically on
religion but must sieve the valuables in each religion and make profitable use of it. This paper
therefore calls for peaceful fusion of ideas for the development of the woman.

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