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Subversion of the Dominant Logic of Heteronormativity in Akwaeke Emezi's The Death of Vivek Oji: Queering the Society and the State

Subversion of the Dominant Logic of Heteronormativity in Akwaeke Emezi's The Death of Vivek Oji: Queering the Society and the State

Guhan Priyadharshan P.
Copyright: © 2022 |Pages: 14
ISBN13: 9781668465721|ISBN10: 1668465728|ISBN13 Softcover: 9781668465738|EISBN13: 9781668465745
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-6572-1.ch006
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MLA

Priyadharshan P., Guhan. "Subversion of the Dominant Logic of Heteronormativity in Akwaeke Emezi's The Death of Vivek Oji: Queering the Society and the State." Exploring Gender Studies and Feminism Through Literature and Media, edited by Gyanabati Khuraijam, IGI Global, 2022, pp. 50-63. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6572-1.ch006

APA

Priyadharshan P., G. (2022). Subversion of the Dominant Logic of Heteronormativity in Akwaeke Emezi's The Death of Vivek Oji: Queering the Society and the State. In G. Khuraijam (Ed.), Exploring Gender Studies and Feminism Through Literature and Media (pp. 50-63). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6572-1.ch006

Chicago

Priyadharshan P., Guhan. "Subversion of the Dominant Logic of Heteronormativity in Akwaeke Emezi's The Death of Vivek Oji: Queering the Society and the State." In Exploring Gender Studies and Feminism Through Literature and Media, edited by Gyanabati Khuraijam, 50-63. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2022. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6572-1.ch006

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Abstract

Akwaeke Emezi's 2020 novel The Death of Vivek Oji narrates the death of the eponymous non-heterosexual character—as suggested by the title—and the emotional turmoil faced by people with non-heterosexual orientation. This chapter demonstrates how his death is the product of dominant logic—the prudishness of the Igbo society, which manifests heteronormative practices, and the legal system in Nigeria that castigate persons who diverge from normative sexual behaviour. Further, it examines the narration in the novel that subverts the heteronormativity perpetuated by the state and society, opening new avenues of resistance for non-heterosexual people in Nigeria that might otherwise be obscured in the narrative. The chapter considers the location of the experiences of the non-heterosexual characters in the novel in liminality so that the contradiction between the lived experience and the conformity articulated by the state and the society is apparent, which prepares the ground for resistance to occur.

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