PARENTAL FAILURE: THE CAUSE OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE GIRL CHILD: THE CASE OF BETTY AND HER DAUGHTER ATEBA IN C’EST LE SOLEIL QUI M’A BRÛLÉE BY CALIXTHE BEYALA

Abstract

Abandoning children has became a very regular and ugly practice in Africa and indeed Nigeria. Calixthe Beyala, the Author of “C’est le, soleil qui m’a brûlée a Cameroonian writer has shown in her works through her many books, the reckless act of abandoning children by their mothers. Firstly, in our text C’est le soleil qui m’a brulée, we see how “Betty” Ateba’s mother through her reckless and loose lifestyle could not identify the father of Ateba who was supposed to father her child. Again, we see how she had to abandon her daughter “Ateba” because she was not ready to go through the pains and troubles of motherhood. Thirdly, we also see how “Ateba” got to the hands of her niece “Ada” who was a prostitute like “Betty” Ateba’s mother, and because of the life of prostitution lived by “Ada” Ateba’s niece, we also see how “Ateba” ended up her life as a prostitute.” The paper also highlights the costly consequences of parents abandoning their children. In this case (the girl child) and the costly consequences of such practices. The paper equally suggests measures that can be taken by both Government, Religious bodies, Non-Governmental Organizations and spirited individuals in the society to remedy the situation if our society must get any better so that the vulnerable people in the society and the suffering masses can experience some relief from their pains, suffering and shocks. For methodology, the analysis method was used, we have tried to analyse “C’est le soleil m’a brûlée” from the socio-cultural points of view drawing facts from other literary works, the internet, etc. while the theory of radical feminism was employed. A theory that talks about women fighting for their rights and better treatments.