Enslavement of Women in Buchi Emecheta’s The Slave Girl

Name of Author : I. Kanaga Priya & Dr. B Siva Priya

Abstract: Emecheta has recorded the real life incidents of her mother Alice Ogbanje Ojebeta Emecheta who was sold into slavery by her brother for the price of a Silk Head tie which he needed for his cultural dance. Here, in the novel The Slave Girl, the protagonist Ogbanje Ojebeta was sold into slavery by her own brother Okolie as he needed money for his Uloko dance after the death of their parents. The entire novel dealt with the life of the protagonist Ojebeta. She was the precious daughter of Okwuekwu Oda and Umeadi because she was the first girl child to live as they had lost so many girl children at birth in their life. Though Okwuekwu Oda considered Ojebeta as his precious daughter, he didnt stay with his wife Umeadi when she was giving birth to Ojebeta. Instead he went to his farm and even ordered his sons to go to their farm without staying with his wife Umeadi during the time of her labor pain. So, as a pregnant woman Umeadi suffered alone and no one was there with her to help her except Ukabegwus wife.

Keywords : Enslavement, Women, Buchi Emecheta

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