The African woman as a symbol of her continent in Wole Soyinka's the lion and the jewel
Author
Source
Issue
Vol. 19, Issue 2 (31 Dec. 2020), pp.220-243, 24 p.
Publisher
University of Oran 2 Mohamed Ben Ahmad
Publication Date
2020-12-31
Country of Publication
Algeria
No. of Pages
24
Main Subjects
Languages & Comparative Literature
Literature
Topics
Abstract EN
This paper is intended to offer a feminist reading of Wole Soyinka's play The Lion and the Jewel by showing that its main women figures are constructed as tropes of Africa rather than being depicted as full-fledged individuals.
Besides being deprived of self-determining agency, these women act as symbols who represent the traditional cultural values of Africa, and hence they never attempt to subvert the system of patriarchy which is rationalised by these values.
Even more so, they are “idealised” by the dramatist so that they can convey his social vision of the African continent during its historical transition from tradition to modernity.
More precisely, through their stories the playwright stresses the need of Africans to resist cultural changes that undermine their sense of black identity.
Thus, Soyinka's play confirms the view held by many Postcolonial Feminist critics such as Florence Stratton and Elleke Boehmer who argue that the importance of the African woman in many of the African male-authored texts lies mainly in her ability to represent what her continent represents.
In conclusion, the female figures in Soyinka's play are primarily given a voice as Africans who indict modernity rather than as women subjects who deplore their subordinate position in society.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Ali, Muhammad Shaban. 2020. The African woman as a symbol of her continent in Wole Soyinka's the lion and the jewel. Traduction et Langues،Vol. 19, no. 2, pp.220-243.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1053221
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Ali, Muhammad Shaban. The African woman as a symbol of her continent in Wole Soyinka's the lion and the jewel. Traduction et Langues Vol. 19, no. 2 (2020), pp.220-243.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1053221
American Medical Association (AMA)
Ali, Muhammad Shaban. The African woman as a symbol of her continent in Wole Soyinka's the lion and the jewel. Traduction et Langues. 2020. Vol. 19, no. 2, pp.220-243.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1053221
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
-
Record ID
BIM-1053221