Second Class Citizen

The feminist lens with which we may want to regard the novel is anachronistic, but that does not mean Adah does not evince qualities, characteristics, and behaviors that point to a feminist ethos. She wants to balance motherhood and a career; she wants to make choices about her own body; she wants to develop her own identity. She is an imperfect feminist model in terms of her marriage to Francis, who is unequivocally an abuser, as well as her lack of interest in supporting other women, but overall we can analyze many aspects of her character in terms of proto-feminism.