Major Events and Significance in the Novel | Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta

1. Adah’s First Day at School

Adah’s education is shrouded by uncertainties because of the patriarchal societyThe term society is derived from the Latin word 'socius' meaning friendship or companionship. Society is a community, nation or group of people who share the same traditions, institutions, rules and... More and circumstances she finds herself. At the age of eight, her parents are yet to decide whether to enrol her in school. However before they could ponder on whether to educate her or not, being determined to realize her dreams, Adah took it upon herself to enrol in the Methodist School where Mr. Cole teaches. This brings problems to her mother as she is arrested for negligence, but she is later released and Adah enjoys the freedom to continue attending school.

Significance:

Adah’s first day at school reveals the discrimination against the girl child in terms of education. Adah attains the age of eight before she enrols in school, not even out of her parent's volitionVolition is generally the act of making a conscious choice or decision or the process by which an individual decides on and commits to a particular course of action. More but out of her determination. This is not the case with Boy, Adah’s brother. Boy enrols in school at the age of five years. This discrimination against the girl child in education is