A Comparative Reading of Dialogism and Monologism in Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood (1979) and Wanner's London, Cape Town, Jorburg (2014).

This article provides a comparative analysis of dialogism and monologism in African feminist literature, focusing on Buchi Emecheta's *The Joys of Motherhood* (1979) and Zukiswa Wanner's *London, Cape Town, Joburg* (2014). Drawing on Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of dialogism, it argues that Emecheta's novel exemplifies monologism through omniscient narration and authorial control that enforces a singular radical feminist perspective, often portraying male characters negatively and limiting alternative voices. In contrast, Wanner's work employs dialogism by using multiple narrators and diverse viewpoints—including radical and postcolonial feminism, subversive masculinities, and postcolonialism—allowing characters to express independent, sometimes conflicting perspectives without authorial imposition. The study concludes that monologic narratives tend to be subjective, predictable, and potentially alienating, while dialogic narratives foster objectivity, complexity, and engagement, recommending dialogism as a more effective mode for contemporary African feminist literary expression.