AUTOBIOGRAPHY, AUTHENTICITY AND LIBERATION IN BESSIE HEAD’S A QUESTION OF POWER AND BUCHI EMECHETA’S SECOND CLASS CITIZEN

Abstract

Abstract: Literature mirrors human life as writers draw inspiration from life’s experiences to create literary works from which readers, in turn, draw inspiration to improve on their own lives. The pleasant and unpleasant memories of writers provide contexts to their works and make them rich, profound and convincingly relevant. The aim of this paper is to show how Bessie Head in A Question of Power and Buchi Emecheta in In the Ditch draw inspiration from their own lives to create works of art in which they share their opinions, personal experiences and ideas with mankind and society for purposes of their relaxation, education and development. It will also show how their experiences shape them as individuals and enable us to have insights into the historical periods in which their works were written. Through the Critical Theory lens, it is revealed that both novelists focus on identifying and overcoming social constructs that privilege some people while oppressing others. Thus, readers are enlightened on issues that cause pain or trauma within a population. Thus, their success stories would inspire and motivate their readers who, like them, tend to consider the situations of their lives from different angles before taking pertinent decisions. Keywords: Autobiography, Authenticity, Liberation, Trauma, Feminism.