Customer Reviews

Second Class Citizen

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Second Class Citizen" is the story of Adah, a resourceful, intelligent girl from Nigeria who comes to Great Britain shortly after Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Going to Great Britain was a dream she pursued with determination against the wishes of the family of her husband, who had departed for Great Britain before her, and against the traditional role which her native culture saw fit for women. Adah is not so much disappointed with what she finds in Great Britain (surprisingly, since she expected to find the "kingdom of heaven" there) but with the lack of change in her husband who neither can nor wants to question his traditional ways. On top of that he is lazy, bad tempered, and spoilt. He does not care for his wife, he cares for the money she brings home so that he can slouch on the couch and otherwise follow his whims.

Adah brings an interesting aspect to racism: You are only a victim if you think of yourself as a victim. For her part, she never accepts that she is regarded as a "second class citizen" because she is black or because she is a woman. Her husband, on the other hand, wants to fit in and actually tries to conform to the society's racist view of him. He has lost his sense of dignity, but Adah has not. She draws great strength from her determination to lead a better life, to get an education, to give a better life to her children, and to become a writer.

The style in which the novel is narrated is very plain and simple, just in line with Adah's sraightforward, practically minded character. It is quite unemotional and creates a certain distance between Adah and the reader. Beneath Adah's tough surface, however, one can sense the pain she feels at not being loved by her husband "for what she was and not just because she could work and hand over her money like a docile child."

"Second Class Citizen" is an impressive portrait of human dignity under pressure, and of the the sheer will of an individual to persist and to be what she knows she can be.

This book is fantastic! This book deals with the internal conflicts one faces with race, identity, love and life. This book deals with the theme of "borderland", which is being between two cultures, not being accepted by Nigerians and denied also by Europeans. The theme of colonialism is present throughout the book and gives the reader a first hand look at what happens when two different cultures merge. What captured by heart in this book is Adah's determination in life. With each turning page one goes through the hardships of her life. Your heart yerns for everything to work out in the end. This book is written in very simplistic terms but has so many deep symbolic undertones. Believe me your heart will grow heavy as you make the journey of this book.

The novel caught me right from the beginning-- it is a very intriguing story about an intelligent Nigerian woman and her life moving from Nigeria to England. I felt as if I could relate to her life, even though I have not gone through what she has.The language of the novel was fairly simple, but I appreciated that it was constantly moving and coherent. I definitely recommend this book, especially to women because I think it is a novel many women can relate to.

You can never go wrong with Buchi Emechete. Her books are multi-layered and beautiful. She is a masterful storyteller and presents the complexity of tribal versus modern life from a feminine view. If you love writing with a feminist bend, you will enjoy her works. A+++

In this loosely veiled autobiography, Emecheta sets out to tell the story of Adah, a young Nigerian woman who experiences great loss in her native country as a child and then as an adult in England, where she and her husband emigrate to shortly after the birth of their second child. They leave behind a constricted and often tormented family hierarchy in an upper-class Nigeria to become "second class citizens" and develop a new pattern, no longer underneath the eyes of opinionated and powerful parents, but instead amid neighbors and fellow immigrants from Nigeria. This novel is more about how immigrants either survive on their own gritty strength and intelligence or fall based on their inability to adapt to a new culture and to internally combat the prejudice they experience.

Although readers may balk at how long Adah stays with her abusive husband, they will enjoy watching her overcome difficulties and will appreciate her sense of humor. After the birth of her third child, her husband neglects to send her flowers or cards, or even bring her the nightgown she requests. For the birth of her fourth child, this intrepid woman arranges for flowers to be delivered over a couple of days, cards, gifts, and to keep an energetic and confident spirit alive throughout all.

Gritty, realistic, and very human. Tells a true autobiographical story of a remarkable Nigerian woman who surpassed gender, race, and tribal roles in Nigeria and England to recover her dreams "the presence" and utilize her talents.

this book should be read by every independant young woman. Emcheta's story of a young woman struggling to uphold the traditions of her continent in a strange country is poignant yet very real. This book is full of power and energy. A must read, for every young woman.

I enjoyed reading this book, but its written in very inelegant prose. There is a touch of conceit, and a certain holier-than-thou air about some of the paragraphs. But a moving book nonetheless. the blurb, I might add, is inaccurate. its not so much about being a second-class citizen in the sense of being an African in England, but being a woman in an african environment.

A story of an African American female's struggle for acceptance, this book is much like any other novel concerning women's oppression. If you enjoy reading about the horrible events that took place during the middle 1900's, then read the book. If you do not enjoy reading another book about women's suffrage, and do not want to feel guilty for something which you would never allow or endorse, then stay away.