Conversational Strategies in Peace Adzomedie’s “his Only Wife” and Abi Dare’s “the Girl With the Louding Voice”.

Student: Testimony Hannah Omoyajowo (Project, 2025)
Department of English and Literary Studies
Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State

Abstract

Abstract This research examines the conversational strategies in Peace Adzo Medie’s His Only Wife and Abi Daré’s The Girl with the Louding Voice, focusing on how language is used as a means of expressing power, identity, and resistance within patriarchal societies. The study adopts Dell Hymes’ SPEAKING model under the framework of Discourse Analysis to investigate how the characters’ interactions reflect cultural, social, and linguistic realities. Through qualitative analysis, the study identifies strategies such as politeness, directness, indirectness, code-switching, and non-verbal communication, exploring how they shape relationships and individual growth. Findings reveal that both authors use conversation not only as a communicative tool but also as a means of empowerment and social critique. In His Only Wife, Afi’s speech evolves from compliance to self-assertion, while in The Girl with the Louding Voice, Adunni’s language mirrors her struggle for education and freedom. The research concludes that conversation in both texts serves as a vehicle for self-discovery, empowerment, and resistance against cultural and gender-based oppression.

Keywords
conversational strategies peace adzomedie louding voice
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