Cultural Limitations and the Postmodern Temper: Contextualising Freedom in Chinelo Okparanta's Under The Udala Trees

Abstract

The apparent homogeneity of African culture vis-à-vis sex and sexuality is the basis for the prohibition and criminalisation of some sexual  orientations and habits such as homosexuality, bisexuality, lesbianism, among others, in many African countries including Nigeria. This is the thrust of this paper which examines Chinelo Okparanta's Under the Udala Trees as an alternative narrative to sex and sexuality matters in African society. However, in spite of the hard stance on these seemingly exotic, queer or odd sexual orientations, African society is not totally bereft of people who are naturally inclined to them. The paper, which adopts the queer theoretical framework for its analysis, which argues that there is need for the queer community in a homophobic culture to be granted opportunity to tell their own sides of the story. The paper submits that contemporary times appear highly aversive to a monoculture, hence, the need for a multicultural experimentation which is the thrust of the postmodern age, and which is capable of accommodating new trends and developments in the society.