In The Chest Of A Woman Analysis
This paper will be analysed on the lines of feminist theory. Feminist theory is concerned with "...the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women" (Owl.english.purdue.edu, 2015). One of the concepts of feminist theory or criticism is the concept of patriarchy. Patriarchy is a social system whereby man holds power and recognised as the central point of leadership and women are marginalised from leadership. (Oxforddictionaries.com, 2015). In the text, In the Chest of a Woman there is a clear evidence of patriarchy, when the Nana Yaa Serwaah is sidestepped in favour of her younger brother Nana Kwaku Duah to rule Ebusa Kingdom based on the …show more content…
Queer is a characteristic whereby a character exhibit both masculine and feminine characteristics. For instance, the main female character Nana Yaa Kyeretwe though feminine, exhibit masculine characters like assertiveness, physical strength and fearlessness. Her motives and queerness are succinctly captured in this words “a wheel of change that shall leave all men convinced that in the chest of a woman is not only an extension of breast and a feeble heart but a flaming desire to possess and to use power.”(Mawugbe, 2008 Pg.35-36). She has a burning desire to possess and to use power, she reject the stereotype that womanhood means to be protected by a man. Another character, Owusu Agyemang also exhibit queer, she is in constant struggle with herself though feminine and with outer feministic features, she is forced by her mother to live her life as a male. She is thus forced to embrace masculinity and denounce her …show more content…
In his book, Doing English, Robert Eaglestone defines intrinsic analysis as “being concerned with the form of the text, its structure and language. Intrinsic analysis concentrate on the language of the text as it central object, considering things like the choice of words metaphors, the use of symbols, structure, style, contrast, image and the development of the plot.”(Eaglestone, 2009). The piece will consider an intrinsic analysis based on the themes. The major themes that run through this text are patriarchy, chieftaincy and feminism, tradition and customs, gender, the struggle between change and
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