Second-Class Citizen Questions and Answers
Second-Class Citizen
Discuss Francis' failure as a husband in Second Class Citizen.
In "Second Class Citizen", Francis fails as a husband in several ways. He becomes dependent on Adah rather than supporting her, does not provide adequate living conditions, and treats sex as a right,...
Second-Class Citizen
What literary devices are used in Second-Class Citizen?
In Second-Class Citizen, Buchi Emeta utilizes literary devices such as personification, allusion, and simile. Personification is evident when the River Oboshi is depicted as a female character....
Second-Class Citizen
Themes in "Second-Class Citizen" by Buchi Emecheta
Buchi Emecheta's Second-Class Citizen explores themes like misogyny, immigration, racial prejudice, and female empowerment. The novel portrays Adah's struggle against the entrenched misogyny in...
Second-Class Citizen
Compare and contrast Adah and Francis in Second-Class Citizen.
In Second-Class Citizen, Adah and Francis are alike in that at the beginning of the novel, they are both poor students. In nearly every other way, however, they are opposites, for Adah is strong and...
Second-Class Citizen
Characters in Second-Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta
The main characters in Second-Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta include Adah, a Nigerian woman who moves to London seeking a better life, and her husband, Francis, who struggles with his own ambitions...
Second-Class Citizen
The role and character of Adah in Second-Class Citizen
Adah, in Second-Class Citizen, is the protagonist who embodies resilience and determination. Despite facing systemic racism and gender discrimination in 1960s Britain, she strives for a better life...
Second-Class Citizen
What is the significance of Adah's first day at school in Second-Class Citizen?
In Buchi Emecheta's Second Class Citizen, Adah's first day of school is highly significant. It is the first demonstration of Adah's determination. It shows us the lengths she is willing to go to...
Second-Class Citizen
How does the novel "Second-Class Citizen" portray gender discrimination?
The novel "Second-Class Citizen" highlights gender discrimination through the life of its protagonist, Adah. Initially, Adah experiences discrimination in Nigeria, where she is denied education...
Second-Class Citizen
Discuss the theme of male privilege in Second-Class Citizen.
The theme of male privilege in Second Class Citizen prevails right from the start, when Adah has to fight to get an education because she is a girl. The gender norms of her society force her into an...
Second-Class Citizen
Discuss the theme of the stubborn woman in marriage in Second-Class Citizen.
The theme of the stubborn woman in marriage is ver evident in Second-Class Citizen. Adah is no longer willing to be treated like a second-class human being by her husband Francis. It's bad enough...
Second-Class Citizen
How is irresponsible husbandhood portrayed in Second-Class Citizen?
The theme of irresponsible husbandhood is presented in Second-Class Citizen through the character of Adah’s husband, Francis. Although his desire to emigrate to England seems to indicate his...
Second-Class Citizen
What are some superstitious beliefs and traditions in Second-Class Citizen?
In "Second-Class Citizen", Buchi Emecheta explores various superstitious beliefs and traditions, emphasizing that acceptance of these beliefs is often a product of culture. For instance, the Igbo...
Second-Class Citizen
Adah's qualities as a mother and wife and her relationship with her children in "Second-Class Citizen."
Adah in "Second-Class Citizen" is a devoted mother and wife who strives to provide a better life for her children despite numerous challenges. She is nurturing and protective, often sacrificing her...
Second-Class Citizen
What is the theme of motherhood in Second-Class Citizen?
The theme of motherhood in Second Class Citizen is brought across through Adah's determination to care for her children, no matter how difficult her circumstances become. She refuses to take the easy...
Second-Class Citizen
What Nigerian expressions are used in Second-Class Citizen?
To strengthen the book's connection to Nigeria and its people, the author uses numerous Nigerian expressions. Some of these are in English, while others are written in the Nigerian languages of Igbo...
Second-Class Citizen
What was Adah's first obstacle towards her dream in Second-Class Citizen?
In Second-Class Citizen, Adah meets her first hindrance to her dream of getting an education when her family resists her desire for schooling because they do not believe it is necessary for girls.
Second-Class Citizen
What is the significance of lawyer Nweze's return from abroad in Second-Class Citizen?
Nweze's return from abroad is significant because it inspires Adah's dream of going to the UK and highlights the varied reactions of her tribe to Western customs. His success shows Adah that her own...
Second-Class Citizen
Adah's Determination and Its Consequences in Second-Class Citizen
In Second-Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta, Adah's determination drives her to pursue education and a life in the UK despite societal and familial barriers. Her obstinacy leads her to make bold...
Second-Class Citizen
What are the main elements of the plot in Second-Class Citizen?
The main elements of the plot in Second-Class Citizen include Adah's educational aspirations and dream of living in the UK (exposition), her life and struggles in London with her abusive husband...
Second-Class Citizen
What is the theme of determination in the novel Second-Class Citizen?
In Second-Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta, Adah exhibits great determination from the time she is a child. Through determination, she gets an education, decides whom she will marry, follows her...
Second-Class Citizen
How is Adah's welcome to London depicted in Second-Class Citizen?
Adah's welcome to London in Second-Class Citizen is depicted as cold both literally and figuratively. The weather is harsh and biting compared to Nigeria, and the city of Liverpool appears grey and...
Second-Class Citizen
What makes Francis a failed parent in Second-Class Citizen?
Francis is a failed parent in Second-Class Citizen because of his failure and unwillingness to be a breadwinner and his frequent physical and verbal abuse. When his wife finally leaves him, he fails...
Second-Class Citizen
Describe the satire in Second-Class Citizen.
In Buchi Emecheta's Second-Class Citizen, satire is evident in the different characterizations that appear throughout the novel. Emecheta shows us the lighter side of some characters as a slight...
Second-Class Citizen
How did Pa Noble become a landlord in Second-Class Citizen?
Pa Noble became a landlord after buying up a terraced house with some of the money he received as compensation for a workplace accident.
Second-Class Citizen
What is Francis's attitude towards Adah in London in Second-Class Citizen?
Francis's attitude towards Adah in London, as depicted in Second-Class Citizen, is dismissive and abusive. After moving to England, Francis becomes embittered by his own struggles with racism and...
Second-Class Citizen
What is the name of Ada's first child in Second-Class Citizen?
The name of Adah's first child in Second Class Citizen is Titi. She is a girl, despite Adah's husband Francis's hopes of his first-born child being a son.
Second-Class Citizen
What events occur after the protagonist arrives in London in "Second-Class Citizen"?
After arriving in London in Second-Class Citizen, Adah quickly realizes that life in England is far from her expectations. She experiences racism, struggles to find housing, and faces disrespect from...
Second-Class Citizen
How is dramatic irony used in Second-Class Citizen?
Dramatic irony is built into the title and plot of Second-Class Citizen, for readers know that Adah will face severe prejudice when she moves to England even though she does not realize it.
Second-Class Citizen
How does Emecheta use biblical allusions in Second-Class Citizen?
Emecheta uses biblical allusions in Second-Class Citizen to provide a wry commentary on characters and events. They are also used to illustrate the self-righteousness of Adah's husband, Francis, as...
Second-Class Citizen
What is the theme of suffering in the novel Second Class Citizen?
The theme of suffering in Buchi Emecheta's Second-Class Citizen arises from oppression. Adah, the protagonist, faces gender discrimination, familial exploitation, and racial prejudice. Her dreams are...
Second-Class Citizen
Who is the "craw craw" boy in Second-Class Citizen?
The "craw-craw boy" in Buchi Emeta's Second Class Citizen is the boy who Mr. Cole has Adah sit next to when she arrives at school, having snuck away from her mother. The boy gives her part of his...
Second-Class Citizen
Why is Adah referred to as the Ibo Tigress in Second-Class Citizen?
In chapter 2 of Second Class Citizen, Adah, a young member of the Ibo tribe, is called "the Ibo Tigress" because of an incident in school where she bites a student who is holding her while her...
Second-Class Citizen
Why does Adah describe marriage as a "funnel of thorns, fire, and hot nails"?
Adah describes marriage as a "funnel of thorns, fire, and hot nails" because, despite being her only means to achieve her dreams, it is fraught with challenges. She marries not for love but to...
Second-Class Citizen
What are three cultural practices of the Igbo in Second-Class Citizen?
Three cultural practices of the Igbo in Second-Class Citizen are male dominance, the subordination of women, and the discouragement of women from having independent ideas. These practices are...
Second-Class Citizen
The mother-child bond in Buchi Emecheta's Second-Class Citizen
The mother-child bond in Buchi Emecheta's Second-Class Citizen is central to the narrative, highlighting the struggles and resilience of Adah as she navigates life in a foreign land. Her relationship...
Second-Class Citizen
Where is the climax in Second-Class Citizen?
The climax in Second-Class Citizen can be seen when Adah's dream of moving to the United Kingdom finally comes true. However, another pivotal moment is when she decides to pursue a career as a writer...
Second-Class Citizen
What impressions does the reader get of Francis in Second-Class Citizen?
The reader's impression of Francis in Second-Class Citizen is negative. He is portrayed as an abusive, controlling husband who restricts his wife Adah's ambitions and views her primarily as a baby...
Second-Class Citizen
Who is Titi in Second-Class Citizen?
Titi is the firstborn daughter of Adah and Francis in Second-Class Citizen.
Second-Class Citizen
Why isn't Adah certain about the age she became aware of her dream?
Adah is uncertain about the age she became aware of her dream because her native culture suppressed her individual aspirations in favor of traditional female roles. In Second-Class Citizen by Buchi...
Second-Class Citizen
Justify how some traditional African practices discriminate against women.
Traditional African practices often discriminate against women by enforcing strict gender roles, as exemplified in Buchi Emecheta's novel. Women are expected to be homemakers while men become...