OF ACTIONS AND REACTIONS: HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS AND OYINKAN BRAITHWAITE’S MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER

This research examines the dynamics of hegemonic masculinity and the resulting cycle of gendered "actions" and "reactions" in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer. Grounded in R.W. Connell’s theory of hegemonic masculinity, the study explores how patriarchal structures in the Nigerian context instill a sense of entitlement in men, leading to aggressive or oppressive "actions." Consequently, the female protagonists are forced into "reactions"—ranging from psychological withdrawal and self-defense to extreme retaliation—as a means of survival and strategic opportunism. By analyzing the brutal household of Eugene Achike in Purple Hibiscus and the dark, lethal sisterhood in Braithwaite’s Lagos-based narrative, this paper highlights how modern African female writers challenge traditional stereotypes. The findings suggest that female "retaliation" is often a direct byproduct of the extreme strain placed upon them by a society that equates masculinity with dominance and femininity with subordination. Ultimately, the study reveals that the mutuality of gendered experience in these novels serves as a critique of the socio-economic and cultural machinery that marginalizes women in contemporary Africa.