ABSTRACT

African female writers just as their writings, arose due to the patriarchal necessitation and the pressure in women to portray a female perspective to the socio-political vision of African women contrary to what has been portrayed by their male counterparts. With Joys of Motherhood and Women at Point Zero by Buchi Emecheta and Nawal El Sadawi as case study, this project examines the thematic preoccupation of female writings, the challenges as well as the place of the African women and their literature in a male dominated society. In the concluding chapters, recommendations has been proffered as solution to some of the identified challenges.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1     Introduction/Background of the Study

Women writings arose out of the desire to introduce a female perspective to the socio-political vision of African women contrary to what was being portrayed by male writers and to address issues relating to female subjugation in order to expose the cultural impediments to female agency (htt://suite101.com/article/importance of domestic in women lit assessed on 1.03.2013 at 11.55pm).

As a result of this, African female writers have treated a range of themes such as; the positions and roles of women as mothers and daughters within the institution of marriage. The encumbrances attendant on societal and traditional role for women, female circumcision, and gender inequality. These and many more which would be examined in this research, are all contained in such works as Emechata’s The Joys of Motherhood and Ba’s So Long a Letter.

Flora Nwapa’s Efuru (1966) is Anglophone Africa’s first female novel. other Anglophone female novelists include Buchi Emecheta, Ifeoma Okoye, Zaynab Alkali, Naline Gordimer. Some women also became accomplished playwrights. Efua Sutherland, Zulu sojola and Tess Onwueme being the most famous.

In addition, themes like ‘The nature of power’, ‘the correlation between surveillance and ownership’ (htt://suite101.com/article/importance of domestic in women lit) are also contained in Nawal El Sadawis Women at Point Zero.

One of women’s most perceived problems is ‘freedom’, not just from their African male counterparts, but the colonial masters. Thus, themes on colonialism has featured prominently in female writings. This is evident in The Joys of Motherhood which has as one of its themes, the influence of colonialism.

African women writers are just beginning to come into their own, but they are facing many obstacles along the way. This study examines some of the many themes which African female writers share.

According to Dwakwel, Pauline Ada (1995:75-84), Buchi Emecheta has been disowned by several African male writers and critics for being too bold in her portrayal of women characters in her novels. This and other African women authors have discussed the problems they face when they try to write about either strong African women characters or female characters that suffer at the hands of men.   

She also added that the African world is still a very male dominated world, and female authors who dare to speak at about the condition of women in Africa have a tough, uphill road ahead of them. In Dangaremba’s Nervous Conditions, Matuchi’s Your Madness, Not Mine, and Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood. It is the men who first embrace the practice of colonialism. The women either strongly oppose the infiltration of colonialists or meekly follow their men and internalize their oppositions.

The patriarchal practices of the cultures of Africa have existed for thousands of years, while westerners have only been present for just about a century.    

Europe, too, was once a highly male dominated society, in fact, in many ways, even the most progressive societies still have a long way to go to achieve true equality between the sexes.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

Female writers especially in Africa, are faced with enormous challenges. This to a larger extent exists in a patriarchal society, a society which believes that women should only be seen and no heard. Female writers are not just faced with domestic problems such as managing their marriages/home, but they are equally faced with the challenge of finding a place in the society in terms of leadership rights.

These and lots more have propelled female writers in dwelling extensively in exploring domestic themes such as; motherhood, gender, female circumcision etc. However, themes as these mentioned above have presented themselves as a problem to female writers as their male counterparts see such themes as limited to the realities or ground as well as too trivial to be competitive on a literary scene thereby making the female writers less important and also making it difficult for them to express their views freely just like their fellow male writers.  

1.3     Significance of the Study

            This study is significant as it aims at examining the thematic pre-occupation of female literary works, especially as it affects them as women and their place in a patriarchal society. It is therefore, going to be useful to all literature students researchers on women issues in Africa as well as reference material in school libraries.    

1.4     Scope of Study

            This research covers just literary female works which are: Women at Point Zero by Nawal El Sadawi and The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta.

1.5     Limitation of the Study

            In order to do a thorough analysis and justice to the study, more female texts need to be examined. But given financial constraints and limited time at the disposal of the researcher, this project is limited to Nawal El Sadawi’s Women at Point Zero and Buchi Emecheta’s Joys of Motherhood.