The Emotional Well-being of African Wives: Perceiving the Generalised Resistance Resources (GRRs) in Stress Management by Co-wives in Lola Shoneyin’s Novel The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives

Abstract

Although it is oppressive to women, polygamy is still relevant in many contemporary African societies, where the culturally acceptable identity of a woman is as a wife and mother, as demonstrated in Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (2015). To overcome the challenges of their daily lives, polygynous wives must search for resources elsewhere, since mental health facilities are comparatively few in Africa, and that seeking professional help is often the exception.

   At the end of her novel, Shoneyin keeps Baba Segi’s three uneducated wives in the repressive marriage she has depicted, even though their husband permits them to leave. Bolanle, the educated, fourth wife, decides to divorce. While the man’s domination is customary in a patriarchal culture, the woman’s freedom and emotional well being are subject to conditions laid down by her society, but ones which she can control through her response to subjugation. This article uses Aaron Antonovsky’s theory of salotugenesis and its principles of the Generalised Resistance Resources (GRRs) to demonstrate how Iya Segi and Bolanle, respectively Baba Segi’s first and last wives, cope or crumble in the face of stressors. Emphasis is on the GRRs of ego strength, co wife bonding, co wife rank, joy in children, economic freedom, and education and skills.

Opsomming

Hoewel dit vroue onderdruk, is poligamie steeds tersaaklik in baie hedendaagse Afrika-samelewings, waar die kultureel aanvaarbare identiteit van ’n vrou die van vrou en moeder is, soos gedemonstreer in Lola Shoneyin se The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (2015). Ten einde die uitdagings van hul daaglikse bestaan te bowe te kom, moet vroue elders na hulpmiddele soek, gegewe dat geestesgesondheid fasiliteite betreklik skaars is in Afrika, en dat die soeke na professionele hulp dikwels die uitsondering is.

   Aan die einde van haar roman hou Shoneyin Baba Segi se drie onopgevoede vroue in die onderdrukkende huwelik wat sy uitbeeld, hoewel hul eggenoot hulle toelaat om hom te verlaat. Bolanle, die opgevoede vierde vrou, besluit om van hom te skei. Terwyl die man se dominansie in ’n patriargale kultuur gebruiklik is, is die vrou se vryheid en emosionele welstand onderhewig aan voorwaardes wat deur haar samelewing voorgeskryf word, hoewel sy dit kan beheer deur haar reaksie op onderwerping. Hierdie artikel gebruik Aaron Antonovsky se teorie van salutogenese en sy beginsels van die hulpbronne van veralgemeende weerstand (GRR’e) om aan te dui hoe Iya Segi en Bolanle, onderskeidelik Baba Segi se eerste en laaste vroue, stressore hanteer of misluk om dit te hanteer. Die GRR’e van egosterkte, medevroubinding, medevroustatus, vreugde in kinders, ekonomiese vryheid, en opvoeding en vaardighede word beklemtoon.