Postromanticizing the Nigerian Nation in Chinelo Okparanta’s Under the Udala Trees and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀’s Stay with Me

Abstract

This essay analyzes representations of (anti)romantic relationships and episodes of “forced intimacy” in Chinelo Okparanta’s Under the Udala Trees (2015) and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀’s Stay with Me (2017). I will establish a parallelism between the intimate and romantic relationships described in the novels and the social and political evolution of the Nigerian nation, placing the focus onto the female protagonists and their obligation to conform to preestablished feminine and heterosexual models in agreement with Nigerian traditional practices. Through the analysis of the affective and sociocultural evolution of these women, I aim to prove that there is a direct association between demystified representations of the nation and a disillusionment with the romantic ideals of the couples featured in the novels. I will refer to their evolution as “postromantic” since it transcends the performativity linked to romanticization.