Among its prominent aspects, African postcolonial literature discussed the traditional rituals and cultures, community life, religious beliefs of the people and the destruction of all of this with the coming of the colonizers. What is rather striking in the literature from across Africa is the status and treatment of women. As literature is often highly representative of the society, women representations in African works raise a lot of questions. This paper then aims to highlight the lives of women in such fictitious works, as well as in the African reality. The treatment and representation of women in African narratives has always posed a large number of debatable questions.
‘Womanism’ according to Alice Walker is not narrowly exclusive; it is committed to survival and wholeness of entire people, male and female. In all aspects Alice walker is the brightest star in a galaxy of black American women writers. Keywords: Womanism, Civil Rights Movement, Black feminism, Women’s strength AFRICAN WOMANISM The growing influence of the post-colonial agenda since the 1980’s has resulted in the creative expression of voice which was till now silenced by the Western master narratives. The painstaking efforts of non-white women from the margins has brought cross-cultural and inter-racial discussions into the arena of academic feminist theorizing which was till now based on gender. One of the primary aims of third-world feminism was to reject homogenizing impulses of Western feminists who analyzed women issues purely with regard to gender.
A constant comparison and contrast between Maggie and Dee is prominent structural feature of the narrative. This structural strategy helps in conceptualizing the plurality of female experience within the same milieu. This strategy encapsulates another dimension of womanism, viz., womanism refuses to treat black woman as a homogeneous monolith. Unlike feminist position, womanism is sensitive to change with time. This womanist conceptualization is shown by a nuanced destruction by Dee’s response to the quilt, which is the main metaphor in the story.
Angelique Maysonet Mr. Wiglesworth ELA 8 Block 3 March 15 2016 The rights aren't always right Have you ever been told you run like a girl? Or throw like a girl? ever wondered why females are considered the weaker gender? feminists are the women (and males) who fight for equality between the two genders, that includes pay, the household, stopping street harassment and other issues. Something feminists are confused as, misandrists, they are the complete opposites of what feminism is, feminists do not hate men, and those who believe this must be educated.
The Rhetoric of “We All Should Be Feminists” Novelist, Chimamanda Adichie lectured an audience on why we all should be feminists. Feminists are people who believe in the social, political, and economical equality of the sexes. Adichie describes a couple of times when she was called or implied herself to be a feminist. Adichie’s focus in the lecture was feminists but her main focus was feminists in Nigeria because that is what and where she knows. Some key points she made were that we should raise our children differently and that gender matters.
This is something Adah finds quite the same when she moves to England whereby with her African descent she continues to suffer womanhood struggles. A profound look atBuchi Emecheta’s literary masterpiece Second Class Citizen lays foundation for critical reflection and analysis of Adah’s breaking away from the prevalent gender outlooks, sexism attitudes that define male and female relationships and deep rooted stereotypes against women. A close look on this text confirms there are several prescribed gender roles both in the Igbo society as well as in London. The challenge therefore is upon how Adah will break away the gender roles being imposed on her and still be in a position to pursue her educational dreams. Based on a feministic approach,this paper will delve deeper on the sociocultural factors that contribute to Adah being perceived and treated as
Emecheta focuses on the role of women in traditional African cultures and the conflicts they face as they are forced to assimilate into a colonial-influenced lifestyle. She has been rejected by some male African writers as a ‘hostile emigrant contaminated by European views’. Emecheta has also published works that deal with the experience of Nigerian women in Europe. Describing the dilemma of the African philosopher, Abiola Irele writes: “The professional philosopher in Africa today operates in a situation of cultural and social tension. For although his mind has been moulded by the principles of
Feminism describes the broad movement that has campaigned against the political and social inequalities between men and women. Feminist account of the role of culture in gender inequality have been centred to development of cultural studies. Feminism movement is created in order to fight against political and social inequalities. Women must be treated equally and fairly, unlike during apartheid where women were not allowed to vote, although this applied to black people only. women are in most cases not given the equal freedom like men, This happened and still happening here in south Africa even though it is no longer apartheid time.so this movement is created to win citizen rights such as voting and equality before the law.
Feminism has come to mean the push for equality for every gender and intersectional group. This is quite clear in the works of Collins and Lorde in their pieces around the intersectionality within modern feminism. In the past, some people have used the word feminism to support their own interest groups. These groups defined and used feminism differently than the feminist community does currently. Based upon works by Betty Friedan and documents like Declaration of Sentiments, feminism to these “classic feminists” is defined by the oppression faced by upper class, white, heterosexual, cisgendered women.
Post colonial Literature is a body of literary writings that reacts to the conversation of colonization. Post colonial literature often involves writings that deal with issues of decolonization or the political and cultural independents of people formerly subjugated to colonial rule. Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus, part of the third generation narration is concerned with the identity of the modern African woman in the 21st century. Chimamanda Adichie is one of the prominent contemporary Nigerian women writers. She is dynamic and writes from a feminist perspective.