REPRESENTATIONS OF MASCULINITY IN CHIGOZIE OBIOMA’S THE FISHERMEN

Masculinity, in contemporary scholarly discourse, is viewed as a socially and culturally constructed performance shaped by power, ideology, and historical context. It encompasses a range of behaviours, expectations, and roles attributed to men and male bodies, varying across time, culture, and social class. Despite existing literary analyses of The Fishermen, limited attention has been given to how masculinity is constructed and performed, and this study addresses that gap by examining how cultural expectations shape male roles, relationships, and decision-making in the novel. The study aims to examine how masculinity is portrayed in the novel, focusing on how cultural expectations, family structure, and societal influences shape the male characters' behaviours in novel. The study adopts a qualitative research approach, using Chigozie Obioma’s The Fisherman as the primary text to investigate the novel’s narrative, character development, and thematic elements related to gender. It also engages relevant secondary sources such as books and journal articles. The study adopts R.W. Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity because it provides a useful framework for examining how dominant forms of masculinity are constructed, maintained, and challenged within the novel’s socio-cultural context. Findings reveal that Obioma presents multiple constructions of masculinity ranging from authoritarian control and stoicism to emotional repression and resistance. The father figure symbolises hegemonic masculinity, while the sons’ responses to his absence and expectations expose tensions between inherited ideals and lived experiences. The narrative highlights how rigid masculine roles promote violence, fear, and the collapse of familial bonds. The study concludes that The Fishermen offers a critical interrogation of entrenched patriarchal norms, revealing how constructions of masculinity can function as both a catalyst for destructive behaviour and a potential site for redefinition and transformation. Keywords: Masculinity, gender identity, African literature, The Fishermen, male roles, Chigozie Obioma, cultural expectations.