Self-Acceptance Versus Societal Expectations in Damilare Kuku’s Only Big Bum Bum Matters Tomorrow

Imo Ekpe Okon; PhD; Obot; Ndifreke Victor; Udofia; Blessing Innocent

doi:10.56201/rjhcs.v12.no2.2026.pg84.91

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Self-Acceptance Versus Societal Expectations in Damilare Kuku’s Only Big Bum Bum Matters Tomorrow

Imo Ekpe Okon, PhD, Obot, Ndifreke Victor, Udofia, Blessing Innocent

Abstract

This paper examines the tension between self-acceptance and societal expectations in Damilare Kuku’s Only Big Bum Bum Matters Tomorrow, employing Feminist Theory as the theoretical framework. The analysis focuses on how Kuku portrays the female body as a contested site of value, identity, and social legitimacy within contemporary Nigerian society. Through the protagonist, Temìladé, the narrative exposes the emotional and psychological costs of internalising rigid beauty ideals, particularly the glorification of curvaceousness. The study explores how societal voices, represented by peers, social media influencers, and family, enforce a singular standard of beauty that marginalises women who do not conform. In contrast, moments of introspection, familial empathy, and intellectual inquiry reveal the protagonist’s growing awareness of her intrinsic worth. By applying Feminist Theory, especially concepts of body politics and the social construction of femininity, this seminar demonstrates how the novel critiques the commodification of women’s bodies and the illusion of empowerment through physical conformity. The work reveals the complex emotional journey toward self-acceptance in a culture that demands constant bodily negotiation.

Keywords

Body PoliticsSelf-AcceptanceSocietal ExpectationsFeminismSocial Media InfluencersFamilyMarginalisation

References

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Self-Acceptance Versus Societal Expectations in Damilare Kuku’s Only Big Bum Bum Matters Tomorrow

Abstract

Keywords

References

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