representation of women in african literature

Prepared by : Nidhi Jasani

Paper : African Literature

Enrolment number : 14101018

Department of English M.K.B.

University

Email: nidhijasani15@gmail.com

Representation of Women in African

literature

REPRESENTATION OF WOMAN WITH REFERENCE OF

Things Fall Apart

Grain of Wheat

Waiting for Barbarian

Swamp Dweller

WHAT WE DISCUSS…

How land and women represent.

Marginalization of women.

Exploitation of women.

Suppression of women.

HOW WOMEN AND LAND PRESENT

Concept of

Mother land Father land

LAND AND WOMEN

• In Grain of Wheat, we found that people say that ‘Kenya is our mother’.

• Concept of motherland (mother is female)

• Mother land is always muted and silent.

• Ruled by British people and then native people.

• Colonizer comes with masculine power. (nation)

In Thing Fall Apart we found that as part of punishment Okonkwo exile from ‘father land’ and send to ‘mother land’.

Okonkwo also respected because he have three wives an piece of land.

A man who has piece of land and many wife is richest and powerful in the place.

Not only marginalization but double marginalization of women.

Achebe gives name to Okonkwo’smother land but he fails to give name to Okonkwo’s mother.

In Waiting for Barbarians the Barbarian girl is only female character is shown in novel but she also have not given name.

Marginalization of

women

EXPLOITATION OF WOMEN

In ‘Waiting for Barbarians’ we found that the girl has not given voice to shows the condition of women in their society.

By helping her Megistar make her victim of his sympathy.

She known as ‘other’

In the beginning her body is unmarked, but later on her boy is full of scars. (mind)

SUPPRESSION OF WOMEN

Mumbi have all the quality of central

character, but she not considered as central

character.

She is more strong then Mugo.

“Women are coward”

- Karanja laugh on

women.

Strong and

Independent

Mumbi

she should have been boy

Ezinma

Alu

Faithful

Consistent to husband

Simple and honest

Desala

Unfaithful

Inconsistent

Materialistic

Men over power women.

Started beating women

Celebration of mesquenline power.

Identity of women as an object to show case of man power.

Women have not their own identity.

. AT THE END OF DISCUSSION….

In African literature women are voiceless or

consider as ‘others’.

Women have not given appropriate and

enough space in literature.

Exploitation of women and land also.

In these all novels and plays, there is

suppuration and marginalization of women.

There is victimization of women