Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels

Onyeka Ike; Psalms Chinaka

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19

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Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels

Onyeka Ike, Psalms Chinaka

Published in International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 10, Issue 2)

Received: 11 March 2022 Accepted: 31 March 2022 Published: 22 April 2022

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Abstract

The absence of a New historicist approach on Chimamanda Adichie’s leadership representations created the impetus for this paper. The paper evaluates Adichie’s perceptions of the inundating problem of leadership and dictatorship in Nigeria as represented in Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah. Through the qualitative research methodology, the paper adopts Michel Foucault’s New Historicist theory of power which reveals an authorial viewpoint that Nigeria has been a casualty of failed leadership since independence. This situation accounts for its inability to optimally realize her noble potentials and effectively take its rightful position among the comity of nations. The study maintains that leadership significantly determines followership, and that whereas good leadership guarantees good followership, the latter does not necessarily guarantee the former in any given society. This also implies that leadership is a factor as vital as the existence of any given society or organization because the type of leadership existing in any particular society largely determines the trajectory of development or otherwise. Indeed, the novelist’s representations in this regard clearly demonstrate her immense knowledge and concern about Nigeria’s lingering leadership challenges. Adichie’s conviction and advocacy that democratization is preferable to militarization are also foregrounded. The discourse challenges contemporary Nigerian leaders to formulate and implement patriotic and progressive policies that can launch the nation to the pedestal of positive development and advancement in all facets of human endeavour.

Published in	International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 10, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19
Page(s)	134-140
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Consequences, Exemplifying, Failure, Historicity, Leadership

References

[1]	Achebe, C. (1983). The trouble with Nigeria. Fourth Dimension Publishers.
[2]	Adejumobi, S. & Kehinde, M. (2007). Building democracy without democrats? Political parties and threats of democratic reversal in Nigeria. Journal of African Elections, 6 (2), 95-113.
[3]	Adichie, C. N. (2006). Purple hibiscus. Farafina.
[4]	Adichie, C. N. (2006). Half of a yellow sun. Farafina.
[5]	Adichie, C. N. (2013). Americanah. Farafina.
[6]	Adichie, C. N. (2020, May 8). Nigeria’s Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks colonialism, politics and pop culture. Interview by Clarisse Juompam-Yakam. The Africa Report. Theafricareport.com. 19 Sept. 2020.
[7]	Akinbode, A. (2019). How operation wetie led to the 1996 Nigerian coup d’état. National History. https//www.thehistoryville.com
[8]	Audu, B. (2015). Tiv (Nigeria) riots of the 1960, 1964: The principle of minimum force and counter insurgency. https://www.academia.edu
[9]	Cohen, W. A. (2002). The art of a leader. Prentice Hall Press.
[10]	Diamond, L. (1988). Crisis and conflict in the Western Region, 1962-63. In class, ethnicity and democracy in Nigeria. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-08080-9_4
[11]	Fayemi, J. K. (1999). Military hegemony and the transition programme. Issue, 27 (1), 69-72.
[12]	Ike, O. (2018). Shackles of freedom. Sevhage Publishers.
[13]	Morgan, J. M. (2015). Ten major causes of leadership failure. The Business Journals. ps:///www.bizjournals.com
[14]	Okuyade, O. (2011). Weaving memories of childhood: The new Nigerian novel and the genre of bildungsroman. ARIEL, 41 (3), 137-156.
[15]	Surji, K. M. (2015). Understanding leadership and factors that influence leaders’ effectiveness. European Journal of Business and Management, 7 (33), 154-167. https://doi.org/10.7176/EJMB/7-33-2015-03

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Onyeka Ike, Psalms Chinaka. (2022). Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 10(2), 134-140. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19

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ACS Style

Onyeka Ike; Psalms Chinaka. Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2022, 10(2), 134-140. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19

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Onyeka Ike, Psalms Chinaka. Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels. Int J Lit Arts. 2022;10(2):134-140. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19

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@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19,
  author = {Onyeka Ike and Psalms Chinaka},
  title = {Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {10},
  number = {2},
  pages = {134-140},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20221002.19},
  abstract = {The absence of a New historicist approach on Chimamanda Adichie’s leadership representations created the impetus for this paper. The paper evaluates Adichie’s perceptions of the inundating problem of leadership and dictatorship in Nigeria as represented in Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah. Through the qualitative research methodology, the paper adopts Michel Foucault’s New Historicist theory of power which reveals an authorial viewpoint that Nigeria has been a casualty of failed leadership since independence. This situation accounts for its inability to optimally realize her noble potentials and effectively take its rightful position among the comity of nations. The study maintains that leadership significantly determines followership, and that whereas good leadership guarantees good followership, the latter does not necessarily guarantee the former in any given society. This also implies that leadership is a factor as vital as the existence of any given society or organization because the type of leadership existing in any particular society largely determines the trajectory of development or otherwise. Indeed, the novelist’s representations in this regard clearly demonstrate her immense knowledge and concern about Nigeria’s lingering leadership challenges. Adichie’s conviction and advocacy that democratization is preferable to militarization are also foregrounded. The discourse challenges contemporary Nigerian leaders to formulate and implement patriotic and progressive policies that can launch the nation to the pedestal of positive development and advancement in all facets of human endeavour.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels
AU  - Onyeka Ike
AU  - Psalms Chinaka
Y1  - 2022/04/22
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DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19
T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 134
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PB  - Science Publishing Group
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AB  - The absence of a New historicist approach on Chimamanda Adichie’s leadership representations created the impetus for this paper. The paper evaluates Adichie’s perceptions of the inundating problem of leadership and dictatorship in Nigeria as represented in Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah. Through the qualitative research methodology, the paper adopts Michel Foucault’s New Historicist theory of power which reveals an authorial viewpoint that Nigeria has been a casualty of failed leadership since independence. This situation accounts for its inability to optimally realize her noble potentials and effectively take its rightful position among the comity of nations. The study maintains that leadership significantly determines followership, and that whereas good leadership guarantees good followership, the latter does not necessarily guarantee the former in any given society. This also implies that leadership is a factor as vital as the existence of any given society or organization because the type of leadership existing in any particular society largely determines the trajectory of development or otherwise. Indeed, the novelist’s representations in this regard clearly demonstrate her immense knowledge and concern about Nigeria’s lingering leadership challenges. Adichie’s conviction and advocacy that democratization is preferable to militarization are also foregrounded. The discourse challenges contemporary Nigerian leaders to formulate and implement patriotic and progressive policies that can launch the nation to the pedestal of positive development and advancement in all facets of human endeavour.
VL  - 10
IS  - 2
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Author Information

Onyeka Ike

Department of English and Communication Studies, Federal University Otuoke, Otuoke, Nigeria
Psalms Chinaka

Department of English Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

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APA Style

Onyeka Ike, Psalms Chinaka. (2022). Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 10(2), 134-140. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19

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ACS Style

Onyeka Ike; Psalms Chinaka. Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2022, 10(2), 134-140. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19

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AMA Style

Onyeka Ike, Psalms Chinaka. Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels. Int J Lit Arts. 2022;10(2):134-140. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19

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@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19,
  author = {Onyeka Ike and Psalms Chinaka},
  title = {Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {10},
  number = {2},
  pages = {134-140},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20221002.19},
  abstract = {The absence of a New historicist approach on Chimamanda Adichie’s leadership representations created the impetus for this paper. The paper evaluates Adichie’s perceptions of the inundating problem of leadership and dictatorship in Nigeria as represented in Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah. Through the qualitative research methodology, the paper adopts Michel Foucault’s New Historicist theory of power which reveals an authorial viewpoint that Nigeria has been a casualty of failed leadership since independence. This situation accounts for its inability to optimally realize her noble potentials and effectively take its rightful position among the comity of nations. The study maintains that leadership significantly determines followership, and that whereas good leadership guarantees good followership, the latter does not necessarily guarantee the former in any given society. This also implies that leadership is a factor as vital as the existence of any given society or organization because the type of leadership existing in any particular society largely determines the trajectory of development or otherwise. Indeed, the novelist’s representations in this regard clearly demonstrate her immense knowledge and concern about Nigeria’s lingering leadership challenges. Adichie’s conviction and advocacy that democratization is preferable to militarization are also foregrounded. The discourse challenges contemporary Nigerian leaders to formulate and implement patriotic and progressive policies that can launch the nation to the pedestal of positive development and advancement in all facets of human endeavour.},
 year = {2022}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Leadership Failure and Consequences: Exemplifying Political Historicity in Chimamanda Adichie’s Novels
AU  - Onyeka Ike
AU  - Psalms Chinaka
Y1  - 2022/04/22
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19
T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 134
EP  - 140
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-057X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221002.19
AB  - The absence of a New historicist approach on Chimamanda Adichie’s leadership representations created the impetus for this paper. The paper evaluates Adichie’s perceptions of the inundating problem of leadership and dictatorship in Nigeria as represented in Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah. Through the qualitative research methodology, the paper adopts Michel Foucault’s New Historicist theory of power which reveals an authorial viewpoint that Nigeria has been a casualty of failed leadership since independence. This situation accounts for its inability to optimally realize her noble potentials and effectively take its rightful position among the comity of nations. The study maintains that leadership significantly determines followership, and that whereas good leadership guarantees good followership, the latter does not necessarily guarantee the former in any given society. This also implies that leadership is a factor as vital as the existence of any given society or organization because the type of leadership existing in any particular society largely determines the trajectory of development or otherwise. Indeed, the novelist’s representations in this regard clearly demonstrate her immense knowledge and concern about Nigeria’s lingering leadership challenges. Adichie’s conviction and advocacy that democratization is preferable to militarization are also foregrounded. The discourse challenges contemporary Nigerian leaders to formulate and implement patriotic and progressive policies that can launch the nation to the pedestal of positive development and advancement in all facets of human endeavour.
VL  - 10
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download