The Influence of Feminism on the African Literature

121 Pages·2015·0.98 MB·English

People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
Ministry of Higher education and Scientific Research
Mohamed Kheider University of Biskra
Faculty of Letters and Foreign Languages
Division of English

DISSERTATION FOR MASTER THESIS

The Influence of Feminism on the African Literature

Dissertation submitted to the department of Foreign Languages in partial requirement

for the fulfillment of Master degree in English language: Civilization and Literature.

Submitted by Supervied by
Sonia Choukri Bouziani Slimane Temagoult

*June 2015*

Choukri Bouziani I
DECLARATION
I hereby proclaim that the substance of this thesis is totally the aftereffect of my
examination and that due reference or affirmation is made, at whatever point
necessary, to the work of different specialists.
Choukri Bouziani II
Dedications:
I express gratitude toward Allah omnipotent for the quality and tolerance he
has offered me to compose this dissertation.
This dissertation is proudly dedicated to:
My beloved mother “Bahloul Aldjia” her uplifting statements and push for
perseverance ring in my ears, though her distance, she is keeping encouraging me.
My father “El-hedj-Ali” who taught me that the best sort of knowledge to have is
what is realized for its own particular purpose.
To my precious sisters Sabrina and Chiraz who were always there for me and never
left me aside.
To my dearest brothers Nadim, Yazid, Ismail, Mustapha, Kamel, Lahcen, and
Anouar are very special, their selflessness will always be remembered
To my beloved, intimate, faithful friends Lemouaness Zineb, Fatima Amara, Anissa
Mefteh, especially my second half Chahinez Nebchi
To my delightful little angels Khadija, Nawal, Sirina, Rimasse, Bahia, Dadi, Ali,
Daniel, Nureddine
Thank you all for being part of my life…
Choukri Bouziani III
Acknowledgments:
I would like to express my most sincere thanks and gratitude to my respected teacher
and supervisor Mr. Slimane Temagoult for his endless advice and guidance. I also
would like to thank my teachers in the department of English in Biskra University.
Choukri Bouziani IV
Abstract:
Through the time, men are known of their superiority, women have no rights
they are inferior and passive. Women in Europe and America made an incredible
effort to change their destiny and gain more respect mainly with the beginning of the
Industrial Revolution. However, in Africa, women live in patriarchal society with
superior men as head of the family. As a result, African writers couldn’t hold this
horrible situation and start to change using their pens. Concerning the issue we have
to tackle here is feminism in African literature; how African writers analyzed this
subject. The study aims to examine the state of African women through writing and
how writers managed this issue in their works. It goes around discussing different
African works as novels, plays, short stories, and speeches. This work accordingly
aims to investigate the impact of woman's rights furthermore women's activist artistic
feedback in African writing by depending on abstract works and critiques of African
writing. We emphasize the postcolonial feminism in Africa, for consequence African
individuals began to grow profound concerns on their rights and developments that
keep going from 1950s to 1980s, seeing an emotional change in its social, political
social and financial fields.
Choukri Bouziani V
Résumé:
Les hommes sont connus pour leur supériorité, les femmes n’ont aucun droit, elles
sont inférieures et passives. Les femmes en Europe et en Amérique ont fait un effort
incroyable pour changer leur destin et gagner plus de respect principalement
l’avènement de la révolution industrielle. Toutefois, en Afrique, les femmes vivent
des sociétés patriarcales avec des hommes supérieurs à leur tête. En conséquence, les
écrivains africains ne pouvaient pas maintenir cette situation horrible et commencent
à conscientiser en utilisant leurs stylos. En ce qui concerne la question que je dois
aborder ici est le féminisme dans la littérature africaine; comment les écrivains
africains analysent ce sujet. L'étude va pour examiner l'état des femmes africaines à
travers l'écriture et comment les auteurs ont débattu cette question dans leurs œuvres.
Il fait le tour pour discuter différentes œuvres africaines : romans, pièces de théâtre,
des discours, et des histoires courtes. Ce travail va en conséquence pour étudier
l'impact des droits des femmes militant en outre de rétroaction artistique des femmes
dans l'écriture africaine en fonction des œuvres abstraites et des critiques de l'écriture
africaine. Je souligne le féminisme postcolonial en Afrique, par conséquent des
individus africains ont commencé à croître leur préoccupations profondes qui gardent
sur leurs droits et leur développement allant de 1950 à 1980, de voir un changement
émotionnel dans ses domaines sociaux, financiers, politiques et sociaux.
Choukri Bouziani VI
Table of Contents:
Declaration ……………………………………...........................I
Dedications....................................................................................II
Acknowledgments ……………………………………………...III
Abstract …………………………………………………………IV
Résumé……………………………………………………………V
Table of Contents ……………………………………………... VI
Chapter One: General Introduction
I. Background to the study …………………………………………………1
II. Statement of the problem ………………………………………………..3
III. Purpose of the study ……………………………………………………..4
IV. Significance of the study ………………………………………………...4
V. Primary research questions ……………………………………………...5
VI. Scope and limitation of the study ………………………………………..5
VII. Methodology …………………………………………………………….6
VIII. The structure of the study ………………………………………………..6
IX. Literature review ………………………………………………………...7
Chapter Two: Historical Background of Feminism
Introduction …………………………………………………………………10
I. Feminist theory ………………………………………………….11
Choukri Bouziani VII
I. 1. Anarchism Feminism …………………………………………………..12
I. 2. Liberal Feminism ………………………………………………………13
I. 3. Cultural Feminism …………………………………………………….14
I. 4. Radical Feminism ……………………………………………………...15
I. 5. Socialist Feminism …………………………………………………….16
II. History of Feminism ……………………………………………………...17
II. 1. First Wave Feminism: nineteenth and early twentieth centuries ……..18
II. 2. Second Wave Feminism: mid twentieth century……………………...19
II. 3. Third Wave Feminism: late twentieth and early twenty first centuries…22
III. Black Feminism Movement in the U.S.A …………………………………..25
III. 1. The Emergence of Black Feminism in the U.S ………………………...25
III. 2. The Impact of the American Feminism on the African Feminism……..27
IV. African Feminism …………………………………………………………..29
V. Feminism in the World Literature …………………………………………...34
V. 1. In America ………………………………………………………………34
V. 2. In Europe ………………………………………………………………..35
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………..36
Choukri Bouziani VIII
Chapter Three: Women in African Literature: as
writers’ main Characters Heroes, Victims, or Anti
heroes.
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………38
I. The African Proverbs in Relation to Women …………………………...39
II. The Post Colonial Theory ………………………………………………47
III. Feminism in Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and The Jewel ………………...48
IV. Feminism in Bessie Head’s Maru …………………………………........55
V. Feminism in Eltayab Salih’s A Handful of Dates and Immigration Season
to the North ……………………………………………………………...65
VI. Feminism in Ama Ata Aidoo’s Changes: A Love Story ………………..70
VII. Feminism in Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s novels …………………………...72
VIII. Feminism in Nureddine Farah’s A Crooked Rib …………………….78
IX. Feminism in Chimmamanda Nguzi Adichie’s Americanah and her speech
“We Should All Be Feminists” …………………………………………83
X. Feminism in Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savanah ………………..87
XI. Feminism in Buchie Emechata’s the Bride Price ……………………….91
XII. Feminism in Mariamma Ba’s Une Si Longue Letter ………………...94
XIII. Feminism in Flora Nwapa’s Efuru …………………………………..98
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………..100
General Conclusion …………………………………………………………..102
Bibliography ………………………………………………………………….104