FEMALE AFRICAN WRITERS.   Term Paper ID:29399 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Discusses female and Colonial oppression.... More...

21 Pages / 4725 Words 13 sources, 74 Citations, MLA Format $84.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Discusses female and Colonial oppression. Issues of gender and race. Control of women by men in African society. Differences between African womanism and Western feminism. Impact of the Western feminist perception. Emergence of female identity and assertion of individuality. Based on a selection of texts by African female authors. Paper Introduction: The Cry of the African Woman: Beyond the objectification of the Male Gaze, Beyond Western Feminism Through this impressive selection of books, the reader is presented with a kaleidoscope of female figures depicted by female African writers. Unmediated by the bias of male authors, these writers illuminate the oppressive relationship between man and wife in many African households. Through their eyes, readers from the Western world can begin to understand the vast cultural differences that separate Western women from African women. Therefore, in their attempt to forge an united stance against female oppression, it is essential that Western feminists acknowledge these fundamental differences. The predominant difference is fact that African women have also suffered from colonial oppressio Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1987.El Saadawi, Nawal. Therefore, in order for African women to achieve solidarity, theyneed to overcome their adherence to oppressive male practices in order toimprove the lives of future generations of African women.The Triumph of the African Female Text The African female text is essential because it gives a voice to thewomen who were once silenced. Trans. Like the protagonists in the film"Thelma and Louise," Ateba does not face the consequences of her murder ina world that is controlled by men. Thus, an invisible thread links the two women together in theoverall tapestry that depicts the untold suffering of female oppression.Therefore, even before they meet and conspire to provide Hajila theopportunity to abort her baby, they are already joined in solidarity inspirit. In The Sister, Djebar's description of Hajila's first expeditionout of her home contains short staccato sentences. In fact,it is a double-edged sword that should be embraced with qualification. None of them would ever have dared to look him straight in theface..." (El Saadawi 27). Already in the beginning of the book, Ateba has tapped into theextraordinary potential of the collective power that resides within thesolidarity of women. Instead of accepting traditional practices as givens, femalewriters question male supremacy, the degradation of women and celebrate thecreativity of women (Ogunyemi 1 3). Even Esi, in Aidoo's Changes, who represents the generation ofeducated women of Africa is extremely self-conscious about drinking alonein a hotel lobby. Women who flaunt theirsexuality are considered immoral. However, female African writers, such asFlora Nwapa, have challenged this notion by apportioning a part of thisresponsibility on men (Ogunyemi 17 ). "Nervous Conditions: Dangarembga's Feminist Reinvention of Fanon." Nnaemeka 33-49. Men who are unwilling to hear thedistinctive and unique voice of women demand from women an unfaircompromise. An essential part of the emergence of female identity is for women tocome together to share their experiences, pain and aspirations. Thus, along with their husbands, African women also contribute tothe emasculation of their homeland by white people (Ogunyemi 11). God Dies by the Nile. "Urban Spaces, Women's Places: Polygamy as Sign in Mariama Ba's Novels." Nnaemeka 162-91.Ogunyemi, Chikwenye Okonjo. Ironically, Jean's image ofthe ideal woman is his mother who is fragile and kind, even though hetreats women as sexual objects. Ironically, even though Ngu Ego hasgiven birth to boys, she is trapped in a perpetual struggle to feed them.On the other hand, Adaku, who is considered the failure, has no problemsfeeding her daughter (Emecheta 167-9). However, once they enter into the marriage,their husbands often demand that they give up their careers in favor oflooking after the family (Aidoo 45). Inthe modern age with the advent of education that straddles the modern andtraditional worlds, men and their families still expect women to give uptheir independence and growth. It daringlydefies logic and reality by invoking the poetic imagination. Africa Wo/man Palava: The Nigerian Novel by Women. The Sun Hath Looked Upon Me. Ateba's tearsafter her initial violent encounter with Jean are not insignificantteardrops. Some Africanwomen have benefited from the liberating influences of Western education(Ogunyemi 95). All they areexpected to do is to "talk, giving orders, calling down blessings orcurses..." (Djebar 128). What African women strive for is not the elimination of menfrom their existence, but a way with which to bring women and men togetherin a positive relationship (Ogunyemi 115-7). As if you wished to disappear... African women with great sensibilitiesconstantly hold out for the possibilities of love. In conformity with the stylistic defiance of her text, Beyala takeartistic license in her powerful ending. While Ngu Egobelieves initially that her primary function and concern in life is to givebirth to sons, she realizes too late that her objective does not match herenvironment. Like Hajila's desire of being in the outdoors,all these women simply want to enjoy "one patch of sky" (Djebar 78-9). She wants the stars to be herwitnesses (Beyala 9). What matters isthat out of all the suffering from earlier generations of women, such asNgu Ego and Zakeya, is born the courage for women to assert their rights tocreate their own existence and live a decent life. However, Isma is a highlyimaginative creation of an African writer who has succeeded in capturingthe tragedy of all African wives. Marjolilin de Jager. Ironically for the new African women, theyoften marry men who are initially attracted to them because of theirintelligence and independence. Furthermore, women are beginning to acquire a deeper understanding oftheir sexuality. Even for the new generation of women, Esi and Opokuya depicted inAidoo's Changes, they have to wrestle with the traditions of marriages. Furthermore, once they enter into a marriage contract at theinsistence of Ali, Ali's interest in Esi fades away. Furthermore, communal mothering in Nigeria provides a strong supportnetwork that frees mothers from worrying about child-care and babysitting(Ogunyemi 78). By adopting thisattitude, men are sabotaging the healing process that is necessary forAfrican men and women to create a positive environment that allows bothgroups to grow in unison (Ogunyemi 1 3). With her succinct poetic lines, Beyala quicklyestablishes a character whose sensibility allows her to defy men'sdisrespect of women. Stripped of her rewards of motherhood, Ngu Ego who hassacrificed her life and identity to raise her children, succumb to madness.Tragically, madness serves as a private and privileged space that allowswomen to escape from the rules of patriarchy (Ibrahim 156-7). It is evident that after enduring years of suffering, they donot want their past lives to be forgotten even at the expense of improvingthe lives of the younger generations of women. Women's texts are challenging for men who are accustomed to malewriting that are defined by rules and standards. The respect accorded to the African matriarch stems from that factthat she has devoted her life to ensure the survival of her children.African mothers are often the only people shouldering the burden of raisingtheir children. Becauseof her love for her children, she will never leave her children. However, women have also become victimized in a foreignworld where their husbands create mutant traditions that pervert thetraditions. The essentialdifference is that women now have more choices and are allowed to assertthem. In a contradictory hierarchy, while African men aremasters of their household, they act like women because they performdomestic tasks liked their wives in the white households (Emecheta 5 ).African women are at the base of this hierarchy. What further oppresses the common people is colonists' installationof corrupt locals who wield their power arbitrarily over the common people.African educated men thus become co-conspirators with the colonialists inoppressing women and uneducated men (Ogunyemi 95). New York: Feminist P, 1993.Banyiwa-Horne, Naana. The beginning of Hajila's coming-into-being occurs when she leavesthe isolation of her home to take a walk. Oxford: Heinnemann, 1996.Davies, Carol Boyce, and Anne Adams Graves, eds. The Joys of Motherhood. The central difference that dividesAfrican women from Western women is colonial oppression. In Nigeria, mothersoften go out to work with their babies strapped onto their backs with thelappa. "Ontological victimhood: "Other" Bodies in Madness and Exile- toward a Third World Feminist Epistemology." Nnaemeka 147-161.Nnaemeka, Obioma, ed. African women whoadhere to womanism still believe in the underlying potential ofresurrecting a relationship between man and woman. They seekto tap into the positive qualities of both genders so that they can riseabove their problems and improve the welfare of the African people(Ogunyemi 123). However, there is no doubt that the western feminist perception hasinfiltrated into the minds of the new African women. When she discovers that Hajila has been going out everyday,she throws a dramatic fit (45). Ali's first wife has not even met Esi (Aidoo 97). Instead, they are "[transformed] into one gigantic lake" thathas the extraordinary power to purify her. In contrast, many African women view childbearing as the primaryfunction for women. Her expeditions constitutea sacred space and time that do not permit unwelcome intruders. If they say we will not, then where will we get the food"(Emecheta 117). Trans. "African Womanhood: The Contrasting Perspectives of Flora Nwapa's Efuru and Elechi Amadi's The Concubine." Davies and Graves 119-3 .Beyala, Calixthe. Even though they seem to be minority, they are the vital seedsthat can lead to the rejuvenation of a new relationship between men andwomen. Thewomen's childbearing power is highly controlled within a male-dominatedcontext in which women can exercise few rights or assert theirindividuality (Davies 242).The Emergence of Female Identity The scene in Djebar's A Sister where Hajila is first introduced tothe reader captures the condition of imprisonment of the African housewife(7). Such marriages destroy the being of thewoman. Sherif Hetata. For African women, gender, racism and other forms ofoppression intersect to present a complex problem that is often ignored byWestern feminists (Ogunyemi 114). Trans. African women are overwhelmed by theirduties as mother and wife. However, forher, it is not a fantasy, an escape from her torment. In amale text, such a narrator cannot possibly exist. Furthermore, they are considered topossess supernatural powers (Ogunyemi 46). The discrepancy between the traditional values and the reality ofWesternized cities is also highlighted in Emecheta's Joys. The older womenrealize that education has not helped advance the rights of women inasserting their wishes (Aidoo 1 6-7). They allow us not only to see their pain and suffering, butalso initiate us into their rich and vibrant imagination, theirintellectual development that prevents them from surrendering to thepressure imposed upon them to conform. Like a hungry, deprived being, Hajila almost hurlsherself into the embrace of life. Unlike the individualistic quality of feminism, African women's brandof womanism seeks to include the healing process of a community (Ogunyemi119). In Ama Ata Aidoo's Changes: A LoveStory, Esi's grandmother provides an image of the devastating impact ofmarriage on women: "[A] woman has always been diminished in her associationwith a man." According to her, women's identities are destroyed as theybecome consumed in the responsibilities of being wife and mother (1 9-1 ).Most of the female characters in this selection of books are forced toendure marital rape and beatings in their marriages. In reality, she does nothave a female role model that matches his description. She writes absurdist messages about the end of the world andsends them floating down the stream. Instead, shevicariously gains a powerful understanding of men's oppression of women.Her mind's eye transcends the limitations of space and time for her to goback to history and realize the immutable truth about the relationshipbetween men and women (Beyala 24). Therefore, African womenhave not been able to tap into this potential and seize the attention ofthe nation in acknowledging the importance of motherhood (Ogunyemi 46-7).Even a highly traditional woman like Esi in Emecheta's Joys recognizes thefact that motherhood is more a trap than a source of power for her. In Aidoo's Changes, Alidecides that he wants to marry Esi as a second wife. By introducing new values and lifestyles, the white peoplehave created a rift between men and women and generations. In thisspace, their minds are free to wander, their hearts are free to break andtheir beings are beyond the control of men. In a radical shift of ambiance, theviolence of the crime that she has committed is replaced by the radiatingvision of her being walking towards the horizon (Beyala 119-2 ). Under colonialrule, African women, men and children all became unwarranted victims(Ogunyemi 112). In Djebar's A Sister, thewoman who watches all the goings-on in the town, Lla Hadja, tells on ayoung woman's attempt to attract the attention of a young man. In thisworld, even though Adaku has established her independence by acquiringwealth through her own industry, her accomplishments are negated by thefact that she has not given birth to a boy. The female text also celebrates the uniqueness and difference ofwomen's thoughts. African womanists do not want to relinquish completely thispossibility.The Centrality of Mothering in the African Woman's Existence According to Western feminists, women's capacity to give birth hasresulted in her condition of dependence on the men in their lives (Ogunyemi8). Ateba thinks that man is unreasonable inhis expectations of women in sex: "When she doesn't move, he blames her forher passivity. Ateba's violent act isa powerful message that men's imposition of sexual power on women alsokills. When she moves, he accuses her of shamelessness" (Beyala33). In the foreign environment of a modern city, African men seek toimpose traditions on women that can work only in the rural areas and thuscreate a travesty of the traditional practices. Although it would be easy for her to raise her children withinthe village setting of her hometown, Ibuza, it is a completely differentsituation in the city. When she is first presented tothe reader, Fatheya is already depicted as a woman who is different fromsubmissive African wives: "His wife, Fatheya, was not like his previouswives. Ateba feels undermined by the fact she isunable to rise to his expectations (Beyala 45). More than just a function, motherhood is an integralpart of the African female identity (Davies 243). Of all theworks, Beyala's The Sun and Djebar's A Sister stand out the most becausethey conjure up the world that is seen completely from the femaleperspective. In the old days, the occupation of trading allowed women to leavethe isolation of their homes to mingle with the outside world at themarketplace, interact with other women and earn needed income. Therefore, they feel a sense of loyalty towards their malecounterparts. Without land, she is dependent on insufficient wagesfrom her husband and her trading goods (137). In Joys,Nnaife is a poor husband and a father who takes on other wives and fathersmore children when it is evident that he is unable to support them. For a daughter, the mother represents the ultimate woman thatinfluences the development of her identity and role as a woman. Even aloner like Ateba in Beyala's The Sun seeks to commune with women in hereccentric way. Although this vision seems ideal, the realitydeviates far from this vision. "Motherhood in the Works of Male and Female Igbo Writers: Achebe, Emecheta, Nwapa and Nzekwu." Davies and Graves 241- 56.Djebar, Assia. In Emecheta'sJoys, when Ngu Ego and Adaku finally reconcile with one another, theyrealize that they are both victims of a male-dominated world. For her, there isthe heavenly vision of women awaiting her at the horizon. In another scene, Hajila's mother shows that she is more interested inutilizing her daughter as a way out of her poverty than in seeing herdaughter happy. According to the Islamic tradition,polygamy's primary purpose is to assist widows and their children.Furthermore, a man can only marry when he can afford to support his wives.In addition, in the traditional polygamous marriage, all the wives livetogether in separate huts in the same compound (Nnaemeka 172). In Beyala'sThe Sun, Ateba idolizes her mother, Betty, before the latter abandons her.Although Betty is a prostitute, Ateba still emulates her; she simply wantsto become her mother in every way (52). Because Western women are apart of the colonialism that subjugated the African continent, it isdifficult for African women to embrace Western feminism. Betty tells her that the man she was with had "bad blood" (Beyala68). After all, women with their eroticnature and other qualities are transformed into sex objects only throughthe male gaze. Therefore, it is important for Western feminists torecognize the power and strength exuded by the mother figure. New York: George Braziller, 1979.Ibrahim, Huma. An importance advance that has enabled new African women to increasetheir independence is by earning their own money. InNgu Ego's case, her sons all went overseas and never returned until herdeath. Similarly, Ateba's final act ofapparent madness in identifying her male victim as her best friend Ireneultimately liberates her from her banal and unjust world. In an environment that constantly degradestheir husbands who submit to white authority, African women have tosuppress even more of their identity and beliefs in order to support theirhusbands. Unlike many of the other female characters in this selection ofbooks, Esi's main focus is not on giving birth to babies, but on her work.In fact, it is her interest in her work that sets her up in opposition toher parents and her first husband, Oko, and his parents who continue toadhere to the traditional way of life. A Sister to Scheherazade. In the scene when Jean tries torape her, Ateba's mind flees away into the stars and the seas. Nyasha in Tsitsi Dangarembga's NervousConditions does not see herself as a victim of her father's oppression.According to her, the British who oppress her father is the real culpritwho is responsible for her oppression (Sugnet 37). According to AnnetteKolodny, men do not wish to read women's texts, though they expect women toread men's texts. The predominant difference is fact that Africanwomen have also suffered from colonial oppression, along with the men intheir live. She addresses Hajilawith an intimate pronoun "you," as though they know one another. Ultimately, even for African women, the importance of theirchildbearing power does not protect them from abuse and injustice. They become ameans for women to voice their beliefs in their way and break the silencethat has been imposed upon them by centuries of male and colonialoppression. By these standards, the male characters, Ali and Nnaife, in the tworespective books, Changes and Joys, have violated the law in variousaspects. Esi, the main female protagonist inAidoo's Changes, represents the new African woman who has a thrivingcareer. This double standard has erected a great barrier betweenthe unity of African men and women. Instead of recoiling from her mother in disgust, Ateba wants to saveher mother by "purifying each vein, each artery from bad blood" (Beyala69). In the case of African women who lived during thecolonial era, the level of enslavement is intensified by the oppression ofthe colonial administration that defined their living environment and theirvery existence (Ogunyemi 8). While thiscan be regarded as an enforcement of moral authority, it should be notedthat the young woman is in a forced marriage with an ailing old man (114-7). By using an interesting narrative style, Djebar's A Sister brilliantlydepict the intertwining lives of women. Byconstantly fathering children, Nnaife ensures that Ngu Ego is stuck withthe perpetual need of caring for newborns and older children (Emecheta137). Elwau and Galal in El Saadawi's God are both representatives ofgood men. Chicago/London: U of Chicago P, 1996.Sugnet, Charles. Regardless of the poor treatment they receive fromtheir husbands, African women are respected by their sons (Ogunyemi 12).Older women exercise tremendous power over the lives and households oftheir sons, along with the community. For example, Hajila's removal of her veil is describedin the following sentences: "There, you make your sudden decision to takeoff that veil! Regardless of her wild spirit,she is imprisoned within a man's world. This empathy extends to every woman who istrapped in the endless routine of boring housework, female degradation anddisrespect of their husbands. Infact, the choice of the last two verbs is ideal in describing Hajila'ssensations at the time. In many ways,in their self-sacrificing nature, the traditional African mothers embodypositive female qualities of creativity and enterprise that distinguishthem from the men who are incapable of creating and maintaining life(Ogunyemi 61). In an environment thatemasculates the men in their lives, women's self-esteem is crushed. When Hajila refuses tospeak to a man who approaches her, she begins to exercise her right as anindividual who has a private space (Djebar 42). In fact, African female characters that go mad abound in the femaleliterature. They are bound by their common experience of racial and colonialoppression. Both her mother andher aunt indulge in sex with many men. Symbolic of her defiance oftradition, Hajila removes her veil (Djebar 3 ). She is able to reasonwith her husband about the madness of the villagers' behavior in pinningthe blame on all misfortunes on the bastard child (El Saadawi 115-7). InEmecheta's Joys, the life of Ngu Ego's family takes place under the shadowof colonial rule. The reconstruction of African identity for both men andwomen is integral to the vision of African womanism (Ogunyemi 124). At the time, she realizes that sheonly writes to women without knowing the reason (Beyala 22-3). However, the problem arises from the factthat many rural women are illiterate and therefore do not identify with thefemale writers' use of words to express their beings and identities.However, this discrepancy can only be resolved with the future generationsof young girls who are now learning to read (Ogunyemi 1 2). Esi in Aidoo's Changes andIsma in Assia Djebar's A Sister to Scheherazade are two of the mostprominent women who daringly defy conventions to be independent.Essentially, for African women, both African womanism and Western feminismpresent valid alternative routes for women to pursue. The powerful description of Hajila in her first scenedescribed earlier in the section testifies to the importance of women toescape from their homes. Djebar's narrator, Isma, the "I"persona, is literally speaking to Hajila and empathizing with her existencewithout being physically present. Initially, Ateba inCalixthe Beyala's The Sun Hath Looked Upon Me contemplates a possible loveunion with Jean when he approaches her politely for the first time.However, even in her fantasy, she already realizes that his politeness issimply a veneer for him to get her in bed with him, nothing more (39). Thus, from the banality of her surroundings, she isthrust into a cosmic and moral realm. Many of the femalecharacters in the contemporary times have only achieved salvation andhappiness by renouncing their dependence on men. Beyond the oppression that occurs within the African patriarchy, thereis the oppression that of all African people-- male and female -- by thewhite colonialists. Isma is an unusual omniscient narratorbecause she does not relate the story with detachment. What African womanists strive to do is to confront the problemsplaguing the dysfunctional relationships between men and women. In fact, in thetraditional African society, the status of women is elevated when theydemonstrate that they are not barren. Although most of the male characters are portrayed negatively in thisselection of books, there are a few men who deviate from the negativeportraits. They tap into theexcitement and the life-giving force that women experience when they rebelagainst conventions. This mission is complicated by their jointexperience with African men as victims of colonial rule. Although Aidoo claims to be presenting a love story in her book,Changes, the love affair between Esi and Ali revolves more around mutualsex than love. In these modern days, education has become increasingly accessible towomen (Ogunyemi 59). Within the flowing stream ofconsciousness in the paragraph, Beyala provides a powerful insight to theexperience of not just one woman, but women of all time. The intrusion of Western influence also adversely affects theultimate fate of Ngu Ego in her sacrifice to motherhood. According to Isma in Djebar's ASister, life for the woman "can begin at forty, or at sixty" (128). The love of a daughter for themother is captured in this poignant scene when Ateba massages her motherback. In the assertion of their individuality, African women have begun tochallenge the institution of polygamy. Femalecamaraderie is integral to building female unity and consciousness(Ogunyemi 54-5). Fatheya in El Saadawi's Godis also a fearless woman who dares to assert her opinion and fight to herdeath for her beliefs and love of a child. Trenton: Africa World P, 1986.Davies, Carole Boyce. They realize that their erotic nature has been both asource of imprisonment and power. Djebar's text includes every littleseemingly insignificant detail about Hajila's expeditions (41). Changes: A Love Story. Her decision is problematic and disturbingbecause it does not reflect tremendous thought or an assertion ofindividuality. The clash between these tworealities and environments make her life a constant struggle. Beyond being playful, the female text captures the dynamic and motionof life. Althoughshe is not physically present in Hajila's life, Isma feels her pain. Her decision seems to be a blindadherence to male desire. Even Ngu Ego inEmecheta's Joys cares about Nnaife's welfare even though he treats herbadly. They promise him thatthey will ask the older ladies to exert pressure on Fusena. More importantly, trapped within these environs, she has begun to loseher identity, a woman that can be easily substituted by any other female.In fact, unknowingly, Hajila has become the substitute for a former wifewho has fled her responsibilities within this conventional Africanhousehold. Dorothy S. The fact that she cannot accomplish her desire makes Ateba feelpowerless in her protection of the woman she loves most. Ona's unwillingness to decide between the two menshows how her independence is compromised. London: Zed, 1985.Emecheta, Buchi. Western feministsare alien from the oppression suffered by the African people (Ogunyemi118). While Western feminists see men as the enemy, African women stillembrace their husbands and sons-the men in their lives. Thefinal poignant image of Fatheya who dies to save a baby captures herincredible strength and courage. She never enjoyed their adulation or gratitude and spent her finaldays in a state of insanity (Emecheta 224).African Womanism vs. Consequently, they have perverted their tradition and inflictedundue suffering on the women in their lives. Therefore, in their attempt to forge an united stance against femaleoppression, it is essential that Western feminists acknowledge thesefundamental differences. However, older women often betray younger women by consolidating theexisting structure of injustice towards women by acting abusively to them.They conspire with other men to enforce the validity of this system bymonitoring women's activity and suppressing their attempts to strive forindependence. As explained by Opokuya toEsi, the husband can only marry the second wife with the agreement of thefirst wife. The "female" thoughts allow their thinkers to liberatethemselves from the subjugation by men. She thinks that she would be misperceived as invitingattention from men (Aidoo 32). Patios in Djebar's The Sister serve a function similar to that of themarketplace. Onceagain, although he is acting in accordance with the Islamic law, itcontradicts the very spirit of the law. Considering the fact that motherhood can place women on a pedestal inAfrican society, it is a powerful instrument that can be used collectivelyto create changes for women. In the same book, when Ali decides tohave a second wife and needs the approval from his first wife, Fusena, heenlists the help of the male elders of his family. On a practical level, Isma's familiaritywith Hajila's life stems from the fact that she was the former wife ofHajila's current husband. In thisfemale text, Beyala grants her character salvation. or explode" (Djebar 3 ). The Politics of (M)othering: Womanhood, Identity, and Resistance in African Literature. Although he claimsthat he is entitled to a second wife under the Islamic law, he has notcomplied with the real tradition. More than just a sex object and mother, she finallyrecognizes that she is a complete individual full of creativity andenterprise, without the trappings of marriage and motherhood (Banyiwa-Horne125). For African women to liberatethemselves is not a simple task. In traditional African society, mencapture this erotic power by imposing men's will over women in marriages inwhich rape sex is commonplace and unspoken. Blair. To Ngu Ego, Nnaife is adisgrace to the male African community because he performs the womanly taskof washing clothes. Duringthat period, women are considered to have paid their dues. Nawal El Saadawi's GodDies by the Nile shows the debilitating impact on a village by a corruptmayor who will resort to murder and crime to get the woman of his desire.The Clash between Western Influences and African Traditions The long-term legacy of the colonial days continues to plague theAfrican people. The analysis of this impressive collection of works captures theunusual beauty of the writing voices of these African female writers. In a traditionalsystem, mothers can look forward to being taken care of by their sons. In direct opposition to Western feminists' call for men to share inthe responsibility of parenting, Nigerian women see such a development asan elimination of their power. However, in spite of her independence, Esi still choose to surrenderto Ali's pressure to become a second wife. InBuchi Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood, the tug-of-war for Ona between herfather and her lover, Agbadi, highlights clearly the status of women inAfrican society (26-7). Fundamentally, this traditionrates above all other considerations. In the oppressive relationships depicted within these books, loveseems to be a rare commodity. African women have beenable to establish their independence away from men by pursuing their owncareers. Therefore, the rebellion of the newNigerian women sends a powerful message to their cultural community thatthey do not have to condone the abuse and disrespect that is accepted bythe traditional African community (Ogunyemi 85). The Cry of the African Woman: Beyond the objectification of the Male Gaze, Beyond Western Feminism Through this impressive selection of books, the reader is presentedwith a kaleidoscope of female figures depicted by female African writers.Unmediated by the bias of male authors, these writers illuminate theoppressive relationship between man and wife in many African households.Through their eyes, readers from the Western world can begin to understandthe vast cultural differences that separate Western women from Africanwomen. The oppressive traditions underlying the brutality of the African menundermine the capacity of women to rise above their plight. Therefore, love for Ateba is only afantasy that lives in books -- a world that is alien to her corruptedreality. Works Cited.Aidoo, Ama Ata. The new African womentend to protect their independence by living without men. Ngu Egocaptures the power of the colonial hierarchy in her rhetorical question:"Are we not all slaves to the white men, in a way?... Themodern equivalent can be seen in the enthusiastic conversations between Esiand her best friend, Opokuya in Aidoo's Changes. When the Mayor in El Saadawi's God asserts that all women"...have lost all morality," his wife quickly countered him with thisremark: "Why not admit that it's men who no longer have any morals" (39).The dependence of the morality of women on men's perception is capturedsuccinctly in Beyala's The Sun. Unlike her husband who is a corrupted priest,Fatheya shows herself to have great faith in God. If they say we eat,then we will eat. On a day-to-day basis, African women thusbecome the unfortunate targets of their husbands who vent out theirfrustration on them (Ogunyemi 12). Female texts are powerful in shattering traditional conventions thathave suppressed the assertion of female identity and beliefs. The way Nnaife was literally kidnapped and forced to go towar also illustrates the helplessness and powerlessness of the Africans indetermining their lives (Emecheta 144). However, in order for African women to rise above theiroppressed status, they need to tap into the powerful and unique femaleenergy that radiates from these incredible voices.The Hierarchy of Oppression: Intersection between Gender and Race From the day of their inception, women are controlled by men, firstin their fathers' houses, and after marriage, in their husbands' house. They provide women who are cloistered in their households tocommune with one another. However, forAteba, her love for her mother is constantly betrayed by Betty's preferenceand dependence on a man for her happiness (Beyala 81). London: Routledge, 1997.Nnaemeka, Obioma. Away from the land and the rural community, Ngu Ego hasmarried a man who is dependent on the wages of white masters who havelittle respect for him and pays him little. By doingso, she illustrates the female need to see and to experience the world forherself, without the mediation and control of men. A more promising development of the independent female figure can beseen in Efuru, the protagonist of Flora Nwapa's book of the same name.Unsuccessful in two marriages and condemned by other women for her maritalfailure and her inability to bear a son, Efuru carves an independent nichefor herself in society. The colonial oppression plays a large role in eroding the self-esteemand integrity of the African women by destroying male superiority withinthe African cultural structure. Her powerlessness dissipates when shesees herself not only as one fragile woman, but "thousands of women"(Beyala 9). Thesetexts are refreshing because they dare to speak about the pain andsuffering of women crushed under the yoke of male patriarchy. Western Feminism Colonialism also has another enduring legacy that prevents an easyunion between women from all cultures. The differences in the attitudes can beattributed to the cultural differences and way of life. They have risen through the ranks to participate inmaking corporate deals and work in other occupations that were once thesole domain of men (Ogunyemi 55). Their struggle to survive saps their politicalwill and places a great emotional toll on them. In defiance of the practice ofpolygamy that undermines the identity of the women, educated women haveresorted to creating relationships outside of marriages that aresatisfactory to them (Ogunyemi 83-4). Inspite of her fantasy of a love affair with him, she dresses in tightclothes designed to entice his sexual interest. Furthermore, in her economic andemotional independence from Oko, Esi is unwilling to put up with maritalrape-a common occurrence in traditional African marriages (Aidoo 11). However, the improvement of the lives of African women continues tobe thwarted by the male establishment that does not show respect to women(Ogunyemi 54). More than just a mother, she is a humanbeing who is willing to give up her life to protect the innocent and standup for her beliefs and faith in God. Inadvertently, the children serve asa protection for their mothers against the expectations and judgments ofsociety (Ogunyemi 9). Ngambika: Studies of Women in African Literature. Either women speak in a male language, or are condemned tosilence, or lose their minds (in Ogunyemi 1 2-3). However, unlike thesex depicted in the marriages of many other couples, at least the two ofthem actually enjoy one another and the sexual experience. Beyala's The Sun captures the uniqueness of female texts thatdeliberately violates the rules of conventional "male" texts. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.