Ecotherapeutic Discourse in Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter and Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus

Abstract

The natural environment plays a vital role in psychological well-being, an idea increasingly explored in contemporary interdisciplinary research under the umbrella of ecotherapy. Ecotherapy, or nature-based therapy, posits that interaction with nature enhances emotional and mental health. This study investigates how ecotherapeutic discourse is articulated in two seminal African novels: Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter and Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. These works are selected for their literary depth and their rich portrayal of characters grappling with psychological stress within oppressive socio-cultural environments. The research employs psychoanalytic literary criticism in conjunction with qualitative close reading to identify narrative instances where characters engage with natural environments as a form of emotional reprieve. The study examines the ecological settings and their symbolic resonance in the lives of the protagonists. In So Long a Letter, Ramatoulaye, contending with widowhood and marital betrayal, finds solace in nostalgic recollections of nature shared with her friend Aissatou. These scenes—beaches, gardens, and communal outings—emerge as psychic safe spaces that counterbalance emotional fragmentation. In Purple Hibiscus, Aunty Ifeoma’s garden and flowering plants serve as both literal and figurative refuges for Kambili and Jaja, offering hope, healing, and a model for autonomy beyond patriarchal control. Both Ba and Adichie position nature as a therapeutic force that enables psychological resilience, particularly for female characters navigating socio-religious constraints. The analysis affirms that ecological imagery in African literature is not merely decorative but functions as a profound symbolic and psychological resource. This study thereby enriches ecocritical and psychoanalytic discourses by illuminating the unique convergence of nature, memory, and healing in African women’s writing.