Analysis Of 'The Woman Who Tried To Change Her Fate'

Located within African Oral Literature, The Woman Who Tried To Change Her Fate can be seen to metaphorically represent feminism in the western society over the past century and the processes that is has made. It can be observed that the story captures both the perceived successes of the movement as well as the upsetting results found in the conclusion of the tale. As much as we feel the movement has made progress over the years, it can be argued that it is not true, for women are continually supressed through the misogynistic values held by our society.

The initial response posed by all of the kings when they meet the powerful Ogboinba represents how the feminist movement was initially accepted by society in its beginning phases. When feminism began to really be seen as a threat to the traditional misogynistic values of society back in the 1970’s and 80’s, it created an outrage. This reaction can all to closely be seen when observing the reaction of the kings when Ogboinba challenges them; all of the kings either laugh or get enraged that their mighty powers are being challenged by a woman (Ijaw, pg.517-525), thus mirroring the backlash that can often be seen in our society.

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While reading the tale of Ogboinba’s journey to reconstruction, the audience is under the impression that Ogboinba is going to succeed as she continues to make it further than any mortal ever has throughout the tale. Feminism in the modern day can similarly be seen to capture the same understanding, as many believe that we have reached great lengths in the modern day. This illusion is captured in the tale when Ogboinba is initially received as a powerful, famous, and respected, by the several kings. This response is quick to change when she is seen as a threat to the men’s power and masculinity, and quickly becomes a joke, an outrage, or a