Traits of Womanist in Unigwe's Night Dancer: Complementarity versus Culture

Abstract

Presentations of couples as supportive are a foregrounding motif in Chika Unigwe's Night Dancer. This traditional notion is still very topical especially in ensuring that the union lasts as long as they are alive. However, the female still believe that the paramount duty of the male is family provision while the female is a care provider. Nevertheless, there is a paradigm shift, such that, resources are harnessed together to sustain the family due to economic pressure. This paper examines some negative strains of culture in marriages and how the role complementarity plays in marriage, especially in a culture where tradition emphasizes male dominance. The outcome is the ensuing interrogation of the universalizing qualities of the womanist ideology with its tenet of complementarity. This equally questions the concept of equality at the long run. Therefore, when the partners contribute financially, will the issue of dominance and superiority in marriage not be questioned? This paper concludes with the notion that despite the politics of difference that endeavours to weaken women's liberation, womanist theory is still a panacea to understanding the mindset of the women via their experiences. This will equally distinct reality from stereotypes.