Question

Difficulty: EasyMajor Character Identification and Role Analysis

In Buchi Emecheta's novel *Second Class Citizen*, which of the following best describes the primary role of Francis Obi in relation to the protagonist, Adah?

  1. A
    Her supportive partner who encourages her educational ambitions and literary pursuits in England
  2. Her antagonistic husband whose oppressive attitudes and indolence hinder her pursuit of self-fulfillmentAnswer
  3. C
    Her benevolent benefactor who finances her initial voyage to London to study medicine
  4. D
    Her sympathetic employer at the London library who helps her secure housing

Answer

In Buchi Emecheta's *Second Class Citizen*, Francis Obi serves as Adah's antagonistic husband whose oppressive control, financial dependency, and destruction of her writing hinder her growth.
In *Second Class Citizen*, Francis Obi functions as the primary antagonist in Adah's personal life. His adherence to rigid patriarchal norms, his destruction of her first novel manuscript, and his emotional and physical abuse present continuous obstacles to her independence and self-actualization.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the character and text specified in the stem
The target character is Francis Obi from Buchi Emecheta's novel *Second Class Citizen*.
Establishing the correct character context ensures accurate role analysis.
2
Analyze Francis Obi's actions and function in the plot
Francis acts as a major antagonist who relies on Adah's income, enforces patriarchal dominance, fails his examinations, and destroys her manuscript *The Bride Price*.
Examining character interactions clarifies their narrative significance.
3
Select the option that accurately captures this character role
The description highlighting Francis as an antagonistic husband who hinders Adah's self-fulfillment is correct.
It directly reflects his thematic and structural role in the novel.

Key Concept

Major Character Identification and Role Analysis
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