Narrative techniques in Second Class Citizen include the narrative hook, flashback, author surrogate, epiphany, realism, characterization, sensory detail, metaphor and personification. Continue reading if you need to have a large collection of the various narative techniques in Second Class Citizen.
And if you want a more detailed explanation of the narrative techniques in Second Class Citizen, then all you need to do right now is to sit tight and read a bit more.
Here we go.
1. Flashback
Flashback is one of the narrative techniques in Buchi Emecheta’s novel, Second Class Citizen.
The flashback technique shows events that happened in the past and which have an impact on the incidents or characters in the present day of the story timeline.
One instance of flashback in Second Class Citizen is where the narrator recalls the elaborate reception that the citizens of Ibuza gave to Lawyer Nweze on his return from the United Kingdom.
2. Setting
Buchi Emecheta also employs the technique of setting in the novel, Second Class Citizen.
Setting refers to a writer using a place, time or general atmosphere as a means to further develop characters, themes or the plot of the novel.
For example, in Second Class Citizen, Adah, on her arrival in England, receives “a cold welcome” from almost everything and every human in Liverpool.
The coldness of the city of Liverpool, the dull mood created by the lifeless buildings and the aloofness of the whites set the tone for the harsh realities that the protagonist will have to deal with throughout her stay there.
3. Symbolism
The author of Second Class Citizen uses symbols throughout the narrative. These consist of objects, other elements in nature or abstract ideas to represent a concept or thought.
Below are some notable symbols in the novel.
- The Presence: The presence is a symbol of both personal and universal divine guidance, determination and spiritual support. Rather than being a denominational Christian God, the Presence is portrayed by the author as a universal force that is everywhere and available to support anyone who connects to it in a personal way.
- Oboshi, the river goddess of Ibuza: Oboshi represents the traditonal beliefs and culture of the Igbo people of Ibuza.
- The name “Boy”: Boy is a deliberately-chosen name. More than being just another name given to a male child, “Boy” emphasizes a deep-seated culture of male dominance and privilege at the expense of females in Adah’s society. For the Igbos of Ibuza, a boy or a son is what matters. Girls are almost of no significance. This is why Boy must be the first to be considered in matters of education, for example.
- The Ghetto: The Ghetto, in Second Class Citizen, is where Pa Noble’s house is located. It symbolizes the hopelessness of Adah’s marriage to Francis. No wonder, it is in the Ghetto that the major fights and incidents that will culminate in “the collapse” of the relationship take place.
4. Third Person Narrative Voice
Among the key narrative techniques in Second Class Citizen is the use of the third person narrative voice.
The third person narrator is often an outsider who positions himself as an all-knowing eye-witness. This narrator appears to know everything that goes on with every character including their psychological and emotional state.
The narrative in Second Class Citizen is largely done by an outsider. In other words, the narrator is not a character within the story. Instead, this narrator looks on and observes the plot develop, reporting events, describing characters, and explaining their motives and a lot more.
5. Author Surrogate
We can safely say that the author surrogate is one of the narrative techniques in Second Class Citizen.
This is a situation where the author makes a chosen character exibit the same experiences, attributes or personality traits, personal preferences, views and moral standards as their own.
Adah, the main character in Second Class Citizen is this author surrogate. She is in there for the author herself. All Adah’s experiences in the novel are known to be similar to the author’s own. This is why many commentators describe the nove as semi-authobiographical.
6. Realism
Realism is a literary technique in which a work of fiction is made to depict life the way it really is.
Adah, for example, is a realistic character in Second Class Citizen. The gender discrimination and prejudices she has to surmount on her way to her dream life are a common feature of not only her Igbo society, but also many other African societies.
Again, the “polite” racism displayed against the Nigerian immigrants in the novel as well as the unfortunate stories of characters like Pa Noble and Alice are all a true feature of life in Britain and her colonies at the time.
7. Characterization
Characterization is a key narrative technique in a literary work. And it features prominently in Second Class Citizen. Prominent among the characters in the novel are Adah, the protagonist, Francis, Mr Noble, Trudy and Mr Okpara.
We can point to, at least, three types of characterization in the novel. These are the flat character, the round character and the foil.
8. Flat Character
A flat character is a one-sided or mono-dimensional character. Unlike the round character, this type of character hardly changes or develops as the narrative progresses. Francis Obi, in many respects can be regarded as a flat character in Second Class Citizen. His appearance and worldview, his attitude and idiosyncracies all remain the same throughout the novel.
Here is how the narrator views Francis in sharp contrast to Mr Okpara.
His white shirt was dazzling, and the fact that he was very black pronounced the whiteness still further. He was wearing a black three-piece suit, and his black shoes shone. His black briefcase added to his dignity somehow and the black rolled umbrella he was carrying completed the image – a black clerk in Britain coming home from the city. As for Francis, to Adah, he did not look like the image of anything. He was just himself, just Francis Obi …
9. Round Character
A round character, on the other hand, is the one who develops with the story. They are multi-dimensional in nature and, for that matter, quite complex and unpredictable.
Adah is one round character in Second Class Citizen. In fact, she develops, in many respects, as she grows up with her bitter experiences as a little girl into a wife, a mother amd a career woman.
As a multi-faceted character, Adah’s character is contradictory in many ways. She is strong-willed and docile, intelligent and naive, idealistic and resourceful.
10. Foil
A foil is a character (usually a minor character) that the author uses to further the character traits of another character (a major character, in most cases) The foil as a literary techniques is a vehicle of contrast. This character, therefore, helps to emphasize the opposite attributes of the main character.
Mr Okpara serves as a foil for Francis Obi in Second Class citizen. He is almost everything Francis is not and is never willing to be. For example, while Mr Okpara is neat in appearance, Francis enjoys looking unkempt. And while Okpara treats his wife and children responsibly, Francis would rather abuse Adah or take advantage of her and, on top of that, neglect his responsibilities as a father.
RECOMMENDED:
Development of Adah’s Character in Second Class Citizen.
The Character and Role of Francis Obi in Second Class Citizen
Who is Mr Okpara in Second Class Citizen?
11. Epiphany
Epiphany is another narrative technique in Buchi Emecheta’s Second Class Citizen
It refers to a sudden discovery made by a character regarding a problem that he has been facing. A character’s epiphany moment could be when they discover a solution or a different perspective on an issue.
Adah’s epiphany happens during her stay in the maternity ward of the University College Hospital. Adah’s first-hand encounter with other women with loving, responsible husbands, her embarrassing nightdress experience coupled with Francis’s shameless grab of her money for his own personal interests finally convince her that she needs to get wiser and stop being too naive in her dealings with Francis.
Here come some extracts from Chapter 9 of Second Class Citizen to support this view. It is also significant to note that Chapter 9 is titled “Learning the Rules”. It is indeed, a learning or discovery moment for Adah, the protagonist.
She did not want to stop because she might be tempted to babble the truth to them. She might be tempted to tell them that for once in her whole life, she hated being what she was. Why was it she could never be loved as an individual, the way the sleek woman was being loved, for what she was, and not just because she could work and hand over the money like a docile child? Why was it that she was not blessed with a husband like that woman who had had to wait for seventeen years for the arrival of her baby son? The whole world seemed so unequal, so unfair.
I don’t care whether you become an Nkrumah or another Zik. I want a husband now, and a father for my children now!
If you don’t go out of this ward or stop talking, I shall throw this milk jug at you. I hate you now, Francis, and one day I shall leave you
12. Repetitive Designation
Writers employ repetition to emphasize a particular point in their stories. Repetitive designation, as a narrative technique, makes use of repeated references to either a character or object. At first, this reference appears unimportant, but later it proves to be a crucial part of the narrative.
An example is the repetitive references made to The Presence in Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta.
13. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
As the name suggests, a writer will use this narrative technique to have characters make predictions about the future, which then come to pass as a result of their thinking about that event.
In Buchi Emecheta’s novel, Second Class Citizen, the little girl, Adah’s fantasies of life in the United Kingdom become her self-fulfilling prophecy when she finds herself in that country.
14. Narrative Hook
A narrative hook refers to the narrative style that grips the reader firmly right from the beginning. Usually found at the start of the narrative, narrative hooks entice the reader to keep reading.
Consider the below two examples which are the opening lines from Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen respectively.
It all began like a dream. You know, that sort of dream which seems to have originated from nowhere, yet one was already aware of its existence. One could feel it, one could be directed by it; unconsciously at first, until it became a reality, a Presence.
SEE ALSO: Chapter One Summary of Second Class Citizen
15. Sensory Detail
Sensory detail or imagery is a commonly-used method to help readers create mental images of a scene, using descriptive language that touches specifically on the five senses.
Again in Buchi Emecheta’s novel, Second Class Citizen, there are moments where the narrative relies heavily on sensory details to convey the intended ideas or themes.
An example is when the author tells us “England gave Adah a cold welcome”. She then gives a detailed description of the buildings and weather Adah meets on her arrival in Liverpool.
16. Personification
Personification is where the writer gives human-like characteristics and traits to non-human elements.
In the following extract from Chapter 5 of Buchi Emecheta’s novel, Second Class Citizen, both the phenomenon referred to as the Presence and nature are personified.
Where had she gone wrong? She wished the Presence was still with her to give her a clue but it seemed to have deserted her when she landed in England. Was the Presence her instinct? It had been very active in Nigeria. Was that because in Nigeria she was nearer Mother Nature? She only wished somebody would tell her where she had gone wrong.
17. Metaphor
If you pay very close attention to what people say all the time, you will realize that we all use metaphors throughout our daily lives. It does not matter the particular language being used. In fact, metaphor is arguably the most popular literary technique.
Metaphorical expressions involve the unusual use of words to express ideas. Often, it is all about likening one unlike object or concept to another. When this comparison of two unlike things does not contain such words as “like” or “as”, we call it a metaphor.
18. Simile
Just like metaphor, simile is when we use words in the same manner. The only difference between the two is that simile involves the use of the comparison expressions such as “like”, “as” and “the way”.
Below is an extract from Second Class Citizen Chapter 13 containing both simile and metaphor.
Francis did not reply for a while but went on feeding crumpled sheets into the stove and watching the burnt papers flying lifelessly about the room like black birds. He blocked Adah’s view on purpose with his broad back.
19. Frame Story (Sub-Plot)
The frame story or story within a story is among the many narrative techniques in Literature. It is where a narrative contains separate, almost stand-alone, multiple stories or subplots. The purpose of this narrative technique could be to develop the plot or a particular theme or simply say more about a character.
Examples of the narrative technique known as the frame story or subplot in Second Class Citizen by the Nigerian author Buchi Emecheta are the stories of the characters Babalola, Alice, Peggy and Mr Noble (Pa Noble).
20. Plot Twist
There is a plot twist (or a turning point in the plot) when something unexpected happens in a narrative. A plot twist represents a pivotal moment in the life of at least one character and in the plot of the story as a whole.
In Second Class Citizen, Francis’s heartless burning of Adah’s manuscripts comes as a shock to both the protagonist and the reader.
This incident will mark a turning point for Adah and her marriage to Francis. For once, it is clear that it is not going to be business as usual. Adah is now bent on leaving the marriage because, to her, there is no knowing what else Francis is capable of doing.
21. Cliffhanger
Finally, cliffhanger is the last in this list of narrative techniques in Second Class Citizen.
A cliffhanger occurs when a story is left open-ended and largely unresolved.
Yes, Adah is not going back to Francis. But since it is not very clear what her next move will be after she leaves the magistrate court, sobbing, it is not out of place to describe the end of the novel in Chapter 13 as a cliffhanger.
Adah has just met an old male acquaintance from the past. He is an Igbo who “paid the fair that took her home from Canden Town because he thought she was still with her husband” Among the possible questions that will linger in the mind of the reader is, will a relationship develop between Adah and this Igbo man? Another one is, what is going to be Adah’s next move?
Conclusion
The narrative techniques in Second Class Citizen I’ve enumerated in this post should help you to write a good essay on this topic. That is, in case, you meet a question like this in your Literature test.
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