Feminism in t h e W r i t i n g s of Ama Ata Aidoo and Mariama Ba
Feminism in t h e W r i t i n g s of Ama Ata Aidoo and Mariama Ba
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Date
1987-09
Authors
Shehu, Halima
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
Literature is said to be a reflection of society. However
African literature provides an incomplete picture of society
because writers and critics alike do not pay attention to
the presence of women in society. This is a curious fact, and
reasons for which can be found in an examination of the
position of women in society.
The first two chapters of this thesis are devoted to this
task. It is noted that since Africa's contact with the
western world many African writers have absorbed the
misconceptions of the west as regard the nature of women.
This dissertation therefore adds a new dimension to
our appreciation of African literature by illuminating a
neglected but very important figure in African society.
Both Ama Ata Aidoo and Mariama Ba are ardent feminist
writers who demand that women be placed in their rightful
perspective as important members of the human race.
Ama Ata Aidoo, it is shown, is one of the earliest
writers to speak about the African woman and to place her in
a prominent position. Her works are thus analysed in detail
as are the works of Mariama Ba who represents recent opinions
on the subject of woman.
The dissertation shows how these two writers portray
love, marriage, children, and personal independence as they
affect the African woman, and it is further shown that these
themes arc handled with good craftsmanship. The male dominated
field of African literary criticism has not surprisingly given
much attention to the skill of the African woman writer and this
dissertation is a contribution to this neglected field
Description
A T h e s i s submitted to the P o s t g r a d u a t e School,
Ahmadu Bello U n i v e r s i t y , Zaria, in p a r t i a l
f u l f i l m e n t of the r e q u i r e m e n t s for the degree
Master of Arts (M.A.) in L i t e r a t u re
Keywords
Feminism, W r i t i n g s, Ama Ata Aidoo, Mariama Ba