Paper/Proposal Title
Toxic Nostalgia: Folklore and Legends in Chinelo Okparanta’s Under the Udala Trees
Location
M1400
Start Date
11-2-2023 1:45 PM
End Date
11-2-2023 3:15 PM
Abstract
Ijeoma’s story is one in which she experiences patriarchal and heteronormative oppression through the indoctrinating values that come from the songs, folktales, and legends prolific in Under the Udala Trees. Structurally, they are strategically woven into the story in a way that replicates Ijeoma’s rising panic and claustrophobia. Halima Iamli posits that storytelling in this form is integral to the African oral tradition, that it stands alone as an art form, and that folktales can and should be used in the education of 21st century children. She argues that the educational aims of these folk tales, either in traditional or modern fame, prepare a child to develop their identity and operate according to societal dictates and expectations.
Folktales do have an influential place in a child's societal understanding. Fairy tales, songs, proverbs, and all genres that encompass children’s literature, play an important role in the edification of children. First, they are educative. Second, they demonstrate that by wielding violence, storytellers can instill fear through cautionary tales. Finally, these tales are malleable -- not just because the natural adaptation of oral tradition, but because as Boundinot cites in his research, “It is not necessarily the actual folk tale which affects the child; rather, it is the way it is read or presented which makes the most impact.” This is intensified against the backdrop of colonization and diaspora impacting Nigeria. From the beginning, Ijeoma has a habit separating herself from the traumatic events that she faces by mirroring the folktale style. Okparanta, through Ijeoma, reifies that not all folktales are worthy of our nostalgia. Subverting the problematic colonized and patriarchal ideas embedded within them will free us from captivity under the Udala trees.
Author/Speaker Biographical Statement(s)
The author is an ELA classroom teacher in central Ohio and Doctor of Arts candidate at Murray State University. Her research interests include YA literature, English methods, and British literature. She is concerned with social justice pedagogy, fostering critical literacy, and bridging the gap between majoritarian canon and contemporary voices.
Toxic Nostalgia: Folklore and Legends in Chinelo Okparanta’s Under the Udala Trees
M1400
Ijeoma’s story is one in which she experiences patriarchal and heteronormative oppression through the indoctrinating values that come from the songs, folktales, and legends prolific in Under the Udala Trees. Structurally, they are strategically woven into the story in a way that replicates Ijeoma’s rising panic and claustrophobia. Halima Iamli posits that storytelling in this form is integral to the African oral tradition, that it stands alone as an art form, and that folktales can and should be used in the education of 21st century children. She argues that the educational aims of these folk tales, either in traditional or modern fame, prepare a child to develop their identity and operate according to societal dictates and expectations.
Folktales do have an influential place in a child's societal understanding. Fairy tales, songs, proverbs, and all genres that encompass children’s literature, play an important role in the edification of children. First, they are educative. Second, they demonstrate that by wielding violence, storytellers can instill fear through cautionary tales. Finally, these tales are malleable -- not just because the natural adaptation of oral tradition, but because as Boundinot cites in his research, “It is not necessarily the actual folk tale which affects the child; rather, it is the way it is read or presented which makes the most impact.” This is intensified against the backdrop of colonization and diaspora impacting Nigeria. From the beginning, Ijeoma has a habit separating herself from the traumatic events that she faces by mirroring the folktale style. Okparanta, through Ijeoma, reifies that not all folktales are worthy of our nostalgia. Subverting the problematic colonized and patriarchal ideas embedded within them will free us from captivity under the Udala trees.
