Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies: Home

Abstract:
In recent literary discourse, compelling debates have emerged around the theme of gender and conflict management in African novels, centering particularly on the portrayal of women navigating patriarchal landscapes. These narratives lay bare the persistent marginalization of women, not merely as a social reality but as a thematic undercurrent woven through fiction. Peace Adzo Medie�s His Only Wife is a powerfully-crafted narrative that explores the entanglement of gender, culture, and conflict within a patriarchal Ghanaian society. The protagonist, Afi Tekple (a young, smart and beautiful seamstress), is cajoled into a marriage meant to �save� a family�s reputation, symbolizing how women are often used as instruments for resolving male-centered conflicts. However, Afi�s story is not one of passive endurance, but of rising self-awareness and resistance against deeply ingrained gender norms. Drawing on the feminist theory and African literary criticism, this article situates a nuance exploration of societal expectations of African women and the complexities of modern relationships in Africa. It opines that some modern-day African novels challenge traditional roles assigned to women and reimagine conflict as a transient route of transformation rather than subjugation. This paper equally examines the ways in which gender informs the strategies and outcomes of conflict management throughout the novel. The study argues that His Only Wife contributes significantly to contemporary African feminist discourse by depicting how conflict, when navigated consciously, becomes a channel for self-liberation. The novel subverts conventional ideas of submission, portraying instead a heroine who reclaims her narrative by managing personal and familial tensions on her own terms.

Keywords: Conflict Management; Feminist Perspective; Submission; Self-liberation

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