Inter and intra- gender discourse in African prose: an interrogation of the female image in selected literary texts (original) (raw)
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Journal of International Women's Studies Unbending Gender Narratives in African Literature
The last century has witnessed an upsurge in literature triggered by the feminist movement. This unprecedented event has transformed the various literary genres that are being deconstructed to suit the changing times. African literature has not been spared by the universalized world order. The paper attempts a re-analysis of gender inequality from the pre-colonial to post-colonial period from the lenses of literary narratives. Male writers like Chinua Achebe, Elechi Amadi, Wole Soyinka, Ngugi Wa Thiongo, and Cyprain Ekwensi in their literary mass are accused of condoning patriarchy, are deeply entrenched in a macho conviviality and a one dimensional and minimalised presentation of women who are demoted and assume peripheral roles. Their penchant to portray an androcentric narrative is at variance with the female gender that are trivialized through practices like patriarchy, tradition, culture, gender socialization process, marriage and domestic enslavement. The paper concludes with some contemporary showcases and metanarratives by both male and female writers like Buchi Emecheta, Mariama Bâ, Ama Ata Aidoo, Flora Nwapa, Sembene Ousmane and Leopold Sedar Senghor who attempt to bridge the gender rifts in the African literary landscape.
Since the dawn of time, women generally have had fewer legal rights and status in society than their male counterparts. The continuous subordination and suppression of women are further aggravated by traditions, cultural beliefs and religions of most societies which favor patriarchy. Using the radical feminist approach, the present paper attempts an exploration of patriarchy as an aspect of culture which helps to subordinate women as highlighted in Nawal El Saadawi's A Woman at Point Zero (1983), Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood (1979), and Amma Darko's Beyond the Horizon (1995). It also examines the steps taken by the women to free themselves from the ‚chains‛ of male domination and oppression. The study revealed that cultural practices such as polygamy, female genital mutilation and sexual abuse facilitate the abuse, subjugation and oppression of women in the novels under study. The study has implications for the theory of feminism and literary criticisms.
CULTURE: A VESSEL FOR FEMALE SUBORDINATION IN THREE AFRICAN NOVELS
Since the dawn of time, women generally have had fewer legal rights and status in society than their male counterparts. The continuous subordination and suppression of women are further aggravated by traditions, cultural beliefs and religions of most societies which favor patriarchy. Using the radical feminist approach, the present paper attempts an exploration of patriarchy as an aspect of culture which helps to subordinate women as highlighted in Nawal El Saadawi's A Woman at Point Zero (1983), Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood (1979), and Amma Darko's Beyond the Horizon (1995). It also examines the steps taken by the women to free themselves from the ‚chains‛ of male domination and oppression. The study revealed that cultural practices such as polygamy, female genital mutilation and sexual abuse facilitate the abuse, subjugation and oppression of women in the novels under study. The study has implications for the theory of feminism and literary criticisms.
The Portrayal of Women in Modern Feminist African Literature
2018
Over decades, authority, power, superiority were the prerogatives of men. Women swallowed all forms of oppression and subjugation imposed on them by traditions, cultures, and customs. They lived under the shadow of men with no rights or respected position. Women were viewed as a subordinated being to men. Society considered women as a tool of sexual pleasure and as a demonic creature. Therefore, this despotic treatment provoked women, mainly in Europe and America, to fight for their rights and to change the negative image of women in society. Likewise, African women were influenced by the feminist movement. They also struggled to vanquish the patriarchal system which relegated their roles to the dark corner. The situation of African women was dreadful because they faced repression and discrimination in the real and literary world. At first, African writers depicted women as passive and naïve characters believing that women did not have a story to be praised. Thereby, African feminist writers refused to bear this ill-treatment, and they agitated to change women destiny and horrible situation. Writers like Mariama Ba and Sefi Atta used their pens to improve women's conditions and give them the opportunity to celebrate their stories. They encourage women to militate against any form of persecution. Concerning this issue, the work selected two African novels, Mariama Ba's So Long a Letter and Sefi Atta's Everything Good Will Come to analyze how these writers handle the subject of feminism and how they treat patriarchy in their works. Consequently, this research aims to examine the portrayal of women in the above mentioned novels and to investigate how the two African writers succeeded in presenting powerful and independent female characters that could defy the prejudiced practices of the African societies.
IntechOpen eBooks, 2024
This paper aims to explore the male domination that affected almost women under the African patriarchal traditional system. This article also examines how female characters challenge the several subordinations and suffering as a result of domestic violence experienced at their matrimonial homes. The theoretical perspective that framed the study was feminism. The data were obtained by selecting some relevant excerpts analysing the two novels (The Bride Price, Purple Hibiscus) using textual analysis. The findings revealed that all the characters individually were able to reveal their responses, and experiences on the value of the humanity with equity and justice, which challenged the primitive culture in African society. The finding yielded four themes including (a) forced/arranged marriage; (b) gender inequality to acquire education; (d) psychological abuse; and (d) physical abuse. Finally, these findings provided an empirical support for the application of the global feminism from two African feminist writers.
Gender Frustration in the African Novel: Matters Arising
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), 2023
In many countries of the world especially in Africa, men have enjoyed patriarchal domination over their female counterparts. This subjugated position women are expected to maintain is reflected in the character representation of women in some male-authored African novels. In recent times however, the focus is gradually shifting from inter-gender conflict to intra-gender conflict as well as trans-sexualism in the African novel. This aspect of gender discourse has not enjoyed adequate scholarly attention. Womanism, Marxist Feminism and Intertextuality are adopted as the theoretical framework of the study. This study adopts content analysis of two texts: Night Dancer by Chika Unigwe (West Africa), and Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz (North Africa). The reading and analysis of the selected texts reveal that trans-sexualism is on the front-burner of gender discourse in the African novel. In the contemporary African novel, there have been instances of male/female writers writing in favour of the opposite sex. This is evident in Palace Walk, where the writer, through the characterisation of the protagonist, Jawad, shows empathy for the plight of women in a patriarchal society. More so, there is the issue of intra-gender conflict in contemporary African novels. This is reflected in the conflict between mother and daughter in Night Dancer. The paper proffers a new approach to gender discourse in contemporary African novel in which case the focus is no longer on inter-gender conflicts in which male/female writers antagonise the opposite sex. Rather, there is an intra-gender conflict which reveals an apparent dynamic shift in the gender discourse of the African novel.
MEN AND WOMEN WRITING WOMEN: A READING OF SELECTED CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN NOVELS
This dissertation examines how some selected contemporary African male and female writers portray women's struggle against gender inequality, oppression and their quest for full personhood in the African patriarchal setting of the novels. It draws its theoretical underpinnings from womanism and radical feminism to critically examine four selected contemporary African novels such as Mema (2003),A Beautiful Daughter (2012),The Housemaid (1998) and The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives (2010). The first two novels were respectively written by male authors, Daniel Mengara and Asare Adei whereas the last two were published by female writers, Amma Darko and Lola Shoneyin. The study reveals that the contemporary African male and female writers portray women who attack and deconstruct the patriarchal structures oppressing women through womanism and radical feminism. The womanist or radical feminist stratagems used by the women vary from one woman to another. Their change of concept or ideology is motivated by social problems or circumstantial problems like gender inequality, injustice, humiliation, dehumanization and domestic violence. The writers, by portraying their characters in this sense, have denounced some violent stratagems such as the abuse of children, men and even fellow women that the women use in advocating their rights.
Some aspects of gender inequality in selected African literary texts
Literator, 2009
This article focuses on gender inequalities in selected African literary texts. I explore the way in which some African writers view gender inequalities and stereotypes in their characters. We will also be able to see who is involved and affected by these gender inequalities and how. Gender theory will be used as a framework. The aspects of gender that are discussed, include gender stereotypes, gender roles, gender identity, the superiority of men, inequality in polygamous marriages, sex roles, the sexual division of labour and arranged marriage. This study will also include the views of writers from other part of Africa. These views have a lot in common but sometimes they vary because of the influence and different ideologies of the society concerned.
International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Culture, 2018
Women, particularly in Africa, need feminism so as to advocate for their rights in the patriarchal setting of African societies. But the fact that some women, under the umbrella of it abuse children, men and even their fellow women is problematic in contemporary African novels. Liberal and radical feminisms are part and parcel of feminisms in championing women's rights. This article examines women's liberal and radical feminist stratagems with the lens of African social appraisals in giving an answer to the following question: what are the African social appraisals of women's liberal and radical feminist stratagems in their quest for women's rights ? Or what do the stratagems applied by liberal and radical feminists lead women to in contemporary African societies? Though liberal and radical feminist readings of selected contemporary African male and female writings such as Amma Darko's The Housemaid (1998), Daniel Mengara's Mema (2003), Asare Adei's A Beautiful Daughter (2012), and Lola Shoneyin's The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives (2010), we have examined how women with liberal/radical feminism are treated and considered in African patriarchal setting. In short, the result shows that African women need feminism that gives way for consistent dialogue and which goes in line with non-violent stratagems like the one of liberal feminism in their quest for women's rights. The contrary, as in radicalism via violence against children, men or children, leads to men's violence on women, isolation of women and humiliation of women in contemporary African societies. The position of the contemporary African female and male novels, we have worked on proves that violent stratagems adopted by African feminists in advocating for women's rights should be reconsidered so as to assure the respect for human rights and take into account the socio-cultural realities of African societies.
Feminism in Africa and African Women’s Writing
African Research Review
Feminism developed out of the discontents of women in the West. Although African women, over the ages, have always been sensitive to all forms of discrimination within the African society, the emergence of feminism and feminist consciousness-raising awakened in them a new awareness of their oppression through the inequalities in society, reinforced by patriarchal tradition and culture. Many African women have aligned themselves with feminism and the feminist cause and, despite all odds have made remarkable progress in their lives and society and gained respectable acceptance and recognition from even the most stubborn reluctance of male domination. This trend has been captured by African women writers in their literary works which reflect the progress African women have made in transitioning from the margin to the centre and their contributions to social change. Key Words: Feminism, Africa, patriarchy, African women, consciousness-raising, change