Subverting and Redefining the Identity of the Girl-child in Razinat Mohammed's Habiba

This article interrogates the construction and subversion of girl-child identity in Razinat Mohammed’s Habiba, foregrounding the oppressive cultural and patriarchal structures that perpetuate early marriage, educational deprivation, and gender marginalization in Northern Nigeria. The study adopts the biological model of gynocriticism, as theorized by Elaine Showalter, to frame its inquiry into how the female body becomes a site of social control and, simultaneously, cultural contestation. Through close examination of the narrative, the paper explores how Habiba’s coerced entry into marital life initiates a series of psychological and bodily transformations that redefine her selfhood. Her gradual assertion of agency—expressed through acts of bodily autonomy and narrative resistance - destabilizes prevailing patriarchal ideologies. Ultimately, the paper finds that Habiba not only critiques gendered cultural expectations but also contributes to feminist discourse by envisioning a reimagined, empowered identity for the girl-child within a resistant female subculture.