Niq Mhlongo’s novel Way Back Home explores the performance and portrayal of gender in a context which not only fosters a divide between the sexes, but juxtaposes Western and South African culture as well. Throughout the novel, Mhlongo utilizes language and imagery to demonstrate the ways in which man and woman are portrayed differently in a society which is fractured by the infiltration of Western culture. I chose to examine moments in the novel where Kamathi faces women in positions of power, examining how this power translates into the portrayal of gender, and consequently how it decodes status. Ultimately, Kimathi’s confrontations with women in power are demonstrative of how Way Back Home portrays gender in a society which is culturally …show more content…
This highly westernized situation is operated by women; the clerk and prosecutor are both women who have the power to detract from Kimathi’s status, and Anele is the one filing the claim against him. Often, women are not in these positions of power, and it is critical to ask why Mlhongo portrayed these characters in this manner. The prosecutor directly calls upon icons of Kimathi’s status, “The court might order you to sell some of your assets, like your cars, so that you can afford to pay. I don 't think you want that to happen”(86). By threatening Kimathi’s socio-economic status, the prosecutor in turn threatens Kimathi’s masculinity when she sarcastically adds, “Us women always respect a man who is willing to sink”(87), jokingly insinuating that women collectively value men who will give in to the requests of women. This moment is highly reflective of Kimathi’s defeat not only by the power of women (as further demonstrated by the power of Senami’s ghost) but also by Western culture; Kimathi seems to find no hope in this western institution of social work, nor in western antibiotics or counseling therapy. Additionally, this moment illustrates the mutually additive relationship between gender and status in Way Back Home, demonstrating that the way in which gender is portrayed is interconnected to the way in which status is portrayed in the
This literary analysis will define the historical differentiation of female gender identity roles that occurred in the Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong and the Tale of Genji. The modern gender values in the Joseon Period define a more elevated freedom for women in patriarchal Korean society that is defined in Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong. In a more progressive gender role for women, Lady Hyegyong exhibits an aggressive male trait in angrily denouncing the execution of her younger brother, which advocates a less submission depiction of women’s rights in early 19th century Korea. In contrast to this aggressive female gender role, Murasaki Shikibu writes a novel through the perspective of Emperor Hikaru Genji and his illicit love affair with his stepmother, Lady Fujitsubo. Lady Fujitsubo is a strong woman, much like the mother of Genji, but she is a concubine with little real power in the court. Historically, the patriarchal culture of 11th century Heian Period in Japan is different from the Joseon Period in that
In what ways and to what effect do female characters simultaneously enact and subvert Vietnamese gender roles.
In Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the theme of perceived masculinity is prominent and portrayed as a critical characteristic which has the potential to shape clans, families, and the safety of others. Because of the emphasis placed on masculinity, women are widely disregarded and downplayed, as they are seen as property. In African culture men are revered due to their warrior-like natures that can uphold the functionality of a clan, but frowned upon when deemed as weak; the result of this fear of weakness led to the dominance of men over women.
...present powerful characters, while females represent unimportant characters. Unaware of the influence of society’s perception of the importance of sexes, literature and culture go unchanged. Although fairytales such as Sleeping Beauty produce charming entertainment for children, their remains a didactic message that lays hidden beneath the surface; teaching future generations to be submissive to the inequalities of their gender. Feminist critic the works of former literature, highlighting sexual discriminations, and broadcasting their own versions of former works, that paints a composite image of women’s oppression (Feminist Theory and Criticism). Women of the twenty-first century serge forward investigating, and highlighting the inequalities of their race in effort to organize a better social life for women of the future (Feminist Theory and Criticism).
Throughout The House on Mango Street Esperanza learns to resist the gender norms that are deeply imbedded in her community. The majority of the other female characters in the novel have internalized the male viewpoint and they believe that it is their husbands or fathers responsibility to care for them and make any crucial decisions for them. However, despite the influence of other female characters that are “immasculated”, according to Judith Fetterley, Esperanza’s experiences lead her to become a “resisting reader” in Fettereley’s terminology because she does not want to become like the women that she observes, stuck under a man’s authority. She desires to leave Mango Street and have a “home of her own” so that she will never be forced to depend on a man (Cisneros 108). During the course of the novel Esperanza eventually realizes that it is also her duty to go back to Mango Street “For the ones that cannot out”, or the women who do not challenge the norms (110). Esperanza eventually turns to her writing as a way to escape from her situation without having to marry a man that she would be forced to rely on like some of her friends do.
...e, women are the weaker of the two sexes. Women are slaves and spoils of war, if they are valued for sex they are used for sex. The universal portrayal of women causes a reevaluation of modern day gender balances by the reader.
One of the central themes that Achebe developed in his book “Things Fall Apart” is the contrast between feminine and masculine in the African tribes, more specifically Umofia. In the Ibo culture the gender difference plays an important role in Umofian people’s daily life, and has become one of the centric themes of Achebe’s book. This masculinity vs femininity theme has developed through novels protagonist, Okonkwo, by explaining his different reactions toward folktales, sports, and farming.
Chinua Achebe analyzes a culture he is not accustomed with. The Madwoman in the attic theory comes into play as a westerner writing about “savage Africa”. Things Fall Apart provides an important understanding of Africana identity and history for those in the West who may be unfamiliar with African culture. Achebe tackles female identity within this book with delicacy keeping with the Ibo view of female nature in the background of the story but the forefront of the reader’s mind. A discussion of womanhood must touch upon manhood because they operate as a complementary, opposing, and equal entity.
Many writers from all over the world have provided a close innovative observation for life through their inspiring writings. As Nawal El Saadawi states in “New Song for Egypt’s Elite”: “what makes revolutionary thought unique is its clarity and dignity, and its clear grasp of freedom and justice: simple, clear words that are understood without the need for any help from elite writers or thinkers’’ (1). Thus, when ideas reflect the realties and truths about societies they become simpler, clearer and more powerful. Many writers have designed stories to portray human life, especially women’s conditions, through the female characters that by their words, their actions, and reactions they can stand as representatives for women’s dilemmas in their societies. Some writers have sensed repression and because of their commitment towards humanity and their countries, they have explored the realities of their societies through the depiction of the fictional characters in their stories. Firdus in” Woman at Point Zero” by Nawal El Saadawi and Ree Dolly in “Winter’s Bone” by Daniel Woodrell are two female characters who stand as representatives for their society. They are unique in their ability in facing and resisting their environment bravely. Both novels depict the women’s physical and psychological repression and their attempts to resist in their societies. The novels depict the female protagonists’ actions and the ways repression is represented in the Egyptian and the American society where the writers belong to....
Patriarchy is a form of social organization in which a male is the head of the family and has all the power to control and be a dominant individual. Male dominance is an ever present concept in society but women found a way to challenge this notion and overcome the hardships of male elitism. In “Nervous Conditions” by Tsitsi Dangarembga is focused on the colonized African clan called the Sigauke clan. The novel examines unequal power relations between men and women in the Sigauke clan which is largely steeped in tradition. The women in the story challenge the practices of male dominance; usually unsuccessful but each of these women make an effort to question some of decisions that were righteous of the patriarch. The women also break out of the role of domesticity and servility to the surprise of the men. “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin and “Things fall apart” by Chinua Achebe are very similar to the notion of woman challenging male elitism.
“By contrasting the representation of women in the Third World with– Western feminisms’ self-presentation in the same context, we see how Western feminisms alone become the true “subjects” of this counter history. Third World women, in contrasts, never rise above the debilitating generality of their “object” status. …The application of the notion of women as a homogenous categ...
If a man and a woman with the same exact weight would to jump on the scale it will show that those two people weigh the same. While if they go to measure in the scale of society in the country Korea and Thailand, the men would to weight more than woman. I am using this as a metaphor to compare male dominated or in sociology it’s called patriarchy. In this paper I will analyze feminist theory using example from an Asian dramatic film, Sakul Ga or also known as Family of Crows and Secret Garden.
Traditional gender roles exist in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, but traditional distribution of power between the genders does not. In analyzing each character and their life, it’s easy to see how Marquez presented each in terms of his own view on gender constructs. Marquez portrays femininity and masculinity very differently. But why would Marquez choose to make such a clear distinction between the roles of each gender? Marquez sees women as spiritual and overpowered by traditional standards, and men doomed by their own obsessions. Men are wily and therefore vulnerable, whereas women are dignified and durable, and survive for much longer.
As a female in Africa, the opposite of male, woman suffers sexual oppression; as an African, the opposite of white in an ever-colonized nation, the African woman also suffers racial oppression. Nnu Ego, Emecheta's protagonist, became at once for me the poster female of Africa, a representative of all subjugated African women, and her story alerted me to all the wrongs committed against African women, wrongs that could only be righted through feminist discourse. As with many surface readings I have performed as a student of literature, however, my perspective on The Joys of Motherhood began to evolve. First, I realized and accepted Nnu Ego's failure to react against oppressive forces in order to bring about change for herself and the daughters of Africa. I consoled myself, reasoning that the novel still deserves the feminist label because it calls attention to the plight of the African woman and because its author and protagonist are female.
In America, the rights of women have come a long way from where they were just forty and fifty years ago. Women still have a far path to go for equality and equal respect as men in America, but the success thus far is certainly notable. This success however, is not shared internationally to women of different countries, religions and cultures. Westerners seem to believe that using globalization as a means to bring gender equality to the people of Africa is a suitable plan, even though it is obvious that their values and cultural norms are no-where near similar to ours. Western feminism is not yet a reasonable approach to gender issues facing Africa. There are many examples of women in power in Africa especially in seats of legislature and congress in African countries, so this debate is not argue whether or not African women have made any head-way in improving their rights and the impact of their voices. This debate is to argue simply that our “western ways” are not the “only ways”. Feminism needs to be tailored specifically to the people it effects before it can be an effective proc...