WOMEN’S ROLES AS NON-COMBATANTS IN OKPEWHO’S THE LAST DUTY AND EZEIGBO’S ROSES AND BULLETS

Abstract

The paper entitled “Women’s Roles as Non-Combatants in Okpewho’s
The Last Duty and Ezeigbo’s Roses and Bullets investigates the portrayal
and roles of female characters in armed conflict. This paper interrogates
the variety of depictions and how these depictions emphasize women’s
vulnerability and resilience. Through qualitative content analysis, the
paper examines both narratives on the representation of women’s
experiences focusing on victimhood, fear, hope and resilience. The
paper also considers authorial background, firstly from a masculineauthor perspective as well as a feminine one and secondly from different
ethnicities. Using psychoanalytical criticism, the paper exposes a dual
portrait of women as both vulnerable victims and resilient survivors.
The varying perspectives are found to shape women’s experiences
especially the psychological and social impacts of conflict. The findings
contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexities of women’s
roles in a socially turbulent context while enhancing the discourse on
gender, war and reconciliation in African literature.