RETELLING AS A POSTCOLONIAL MOTIF IN ADICHIE'S HALF OF A YELLOW SUN AND ADIMORA-EZEIGBO'S ROSES AND BULLETS

Abstract

War has been a recurring theme in human affairs throughout history. Myths, legends, epics and other forms of oral and written literature preserve traditional stories of past wars. Nearly every society has its own war narratives, recorded in history books and in fictional works. For example, the Nigerian Civil War - also known as the Biafran War (1967–1970) – remains a turning point in the country’s history, with its wounds deeply etched into the collective consciousness of its citizens. The literature on the Nigerian Civil War is vast and diverse, encompassing a wide range of voices and perspectives. According to scholars like Quayson (2019), postcolonial African literature frequently challenges hegemonic history by functioning as a "counter-archive." Similarly, Newell (2013) argues that women's war narratives, by foregrounding home and postcolonial communal pain, challenge "masculinist historiography," according to Newell (2013). A key feature of war literature - including Nigerian war fiction-, is the recurring motif of retelling. This study, therefore, examines retelling as a postcolonial motif in two landmark Nigerian feminist novels: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun (2006) and Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo's Roses and Bullets (2011). In these texts retelling is more than simple repetition; it is a process of identity reconstruction within a fractured postcolonial context. The act of retelling in these works is intentional, revisionist, and restorative. Analysis of the two works reveals that retelling serves to challenge dominant historical and patriarchal narratives, reclaim marginalized voices, and negotiate the trauma of war. These personal narratives underscore the human cost of conflict and illuminate the lived experiences of women and communities. in understanding the impact of war on individuals and communities. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the function of retelling in feminist war fiction and its broader implications within postcolonial and historical discourse. It also highlights the need for greater inclusion of feminist war narratives in African literary studies.