Are writers still “righting?”: a moral perspective to Adichie’s <i>Americanah</i>

Abstract

While some scholars in the past believed that art should be a vehicle for moral control, some writers and critics in recent times appear to be saying that literary works should only entertain. This shift is reflected in the publication of literary works with controversial moral contents and a seeming lack of moral critique of them. This study, therefore, makes a case for a moral criticism in African fictional studies through an insightful moral critique of Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah. The critical offerings of scholars such as T.S Eliot and especially Plato were referred to and the tenets of the moral concept namely: restraint, discipline and order were extracted from them, with emphasis placed on restraint. Through a moral critique of the selected text, it is established that the novelist does not apply restraint in describing sex scenes and seems not to have adequately punished sexually immoral characters in the novel. While this could be a trend in the post-modern period, this study holds the opinion that the novel Americanah could be a negative influence on some readers.