Feminism is the belief that women are and should be treated as potential intellectual equals and social equals to men. According to Tyson, feminist criticism is concerned with the ways in which literature reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social and psychological oppression of women.
“Changes” is a story that was written by Ama Ata Aidoo which chronicles a period of the life of a career centred African woman; Esi, who divorced her husband after forcing himself on her and later married Ali, a Muslim who already had a wife and kids. After their marriage Ali spends little time with her and in her solitude she is tempted to betray her best friend by cheating with her husband.
The writer of this story; Professor Ama Ata Aidoo is a Ghanaian author, playwright and academic. Professor Ama Ata Aidoo was born on the 23rd of March, 1940 in a royal house hold in Saltpond. She had her Bachelor of Art in English at the University of Ghana Legon and became a lecturer. Whilst she was there, she produced her first play in 1964. In January 1982 she was appointed as the Minister of Education and resigned after 18 months. She then moved to Zimbabwe to become a full time writer and also lived and taught in the USA. She has won many literary awards including the 1992 Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for Best Books for the story “Changes”. The story was written in the late 20th century which was during the third wave where the struggles of African women were based on class, race, among others. Writers like Gloria Anzaldua and Bell Hooks argued for a new conception of feminist subjectivity that took account of race as well as class and gender.
The story features two main characters; Esi and Opokuya. Both women are educated and gainfully emplo...
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...who controls his household and shows his manliness in all situations. Therefore we can see that Oko did what he did because he wanted to prove his manliness.
Ama Ata Aidoo potrays Kubi, Opokuya’s husband and Esi second husband; Ali as unfaithful partners. In the story Kubi tries to sleep with Esi by pretending to be consoling her. Ali on the other hand married Esi because of her beauty even though he had a wife who abandoned her education and career to marry him, and after he married Esi, he was again attracted to her new secretary. Aidoo does this to show how men can be unfaithful and selfish at times.
From the above analysis of the story, we can see that it was written from a feminist perspective looking at how the women are portrayed compared to the men. In this light we can conclude by saying that the story “Changes” does appeals to women than it does to men.
With the graceful starkness of traditional Japanese haiku, Kawabata reveals a twisted set of love affairs between four people that ultimately lead to their downfalls. Haiku depicts a meditational view of the world where nothing is meaningless; in Beauty and Sadness all of the relations represent aspects of new and old Japan, mirroring the rise and fall of Japanese culture in their movements. Among these relationships, perhaps the most traditional is found between Oki and Otoko– although it is tragic and somewhat leacherous, the bond between a young woman (or girl) and an older man is an acceptable affair in traditional Japanese culture. They represent the oldest parts of Japanese custom, and adhere to that measure throughout the novel. Oki’s wish to hear the temple bells with Otoko reflects this long established pattern of old man and young girl, as ...
It revolves around the issues of gender oppression, sexual assault, and importance of social status. Alifa Rifaat manages to express her opinions towards these themes by writing about a typical Egyptian marriage. She puts in focus the strong influence that a patriarchal society has. She also manages to prove how important social status is in society. The uses of literally elements such as theme and irony help express this view. It shows that in a typical Egyptian society women are commonly oppressed by all males in society
Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. In simple terms, it is the ideology of women being equal to men and it is often misinterpreted as the belief of women being above them. Feminists believe in diminishing patriarchy which is a system of society and or government in which men are considered more powerful than women. When people are against feminism they are supporting sexism which is why it is important to educate ourselves on the matter and to understand why we need it.
There is no doubt that wealth and love is a luxury not everyone is able to afford and this can create a tremendous advantage for those fortunate enough to have both. People are intrinsically eager and hungry for affluence or love and they will stop at no point until their satisfaction is fully achieved. This story unravels the importance of family and camaraderie because when there is no supply of money, friendship is all one has left in times of war and this bond will ultimately have a greater effect on an individual than any materialistic luxury good. Through Fukunaga 's story, I learned that love within a family creates feelings that can never be obtained through money alone and even though the rich seem to have more power than the poor, it will be those that live a struggling life, who prevail in the
Feminism, in its simplest definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. (Webster) Feminists fight for equality for women to men socially, politically, and economically. At the peak of feminist discourse is equality for men and women in education and in employment. However, feminism also focuses on more than issues regarding the rights of women in relation to men. Issues of gender equality and women’s right to control their sexuality are also at the core of feminist theory. A key argument made by many feminists is how women have very little control over their sexuality, mainly being defined and controlled by men. T...
Okonkwo, the main character in Achebe’s novel, begins as an individual who holds great power in the Umuofi...
Asagai argues that love should be enough for women, but Beneatha argues that she needs more- a career, for instance. She is determined to find her fullness as an individual and to not be defined by the man she marries.
The only glory and satisfaction enjoyed by the women portrayed in Things Fall Apart was being a mother. They receive respect and love from their children. They are strong for their children. The women are viewed as very gentle and caring. They are expected to take care of their children with the best of their ability and are trusted totally by their children. This honorable presentation of women is used by Achebe to identify women's role in the Ibo society. This presentation is necessary to show that women indeed play an important role in society.
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, feminism is defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism is a major part of the short story, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, which is a story that portrays women’s lack of freedom in the 1800s. Women had no rights, and had to cater to all of their husband’s needs. The main character in “The Story of an Hour” is a woman who suffers from heart trouble, named Mrs. Mallard. When Mrs. Mallard was told about her husband’s death, she was initially emotional, but because of her husband’s death, she reaped freedom and became swept away with joy.
Chinua Achebe analyzes a culture he is not accustomed with. The Madwoman in the attic theory comes into play as a westerner writing about “savage Africa”. Things Fall Apart provides an important understanding of Africana identity and history for those in the West who may be unfamiliar with African culture. Achebe tackles female identity within this book with delicacy keeping with the Ibo view of female nature in the background of the story but the forefront of the reader’s mind. A discussion of womanhood must touch upon manhood because they operate as a complementary, opposing, and equal entity.
What is feminism anyway? Feminism cannot be tied down to a single definition because not all feminists believe in the same thing, they all have their own different set of beliefs. Feminist literary theory according to Lois Tyson (1999, p. 81) examines the ways in which literature reinforces or undermines the economic, political, social and psychological oppression of women. This song speaks about the inequality of women. In the first line of the first verse, it says ‘You have got the words to change a nation but you are biting your tongue’, this clearly describes patriarchy. Patriarchy, is the syst...
Chinua Achebe’s book, Things Fall Apart, was based on a story and the culture in Nigeria, Western Africa. Women’s roles and responsibilities have transitioned over several of years. The book arises a situation of how the Ibo women were treated and looked upon. In the Ibo culture, the women did not only suffer a great loss of their dignity, but also their pride as women. The whole role of women in the Ibo culture is different in various ways compared to the female race in modern society. The modern society in Nigeria, women are not so powerless, and also have the opportunity to work alongside the opposite gender.
The word feminism is sometimes misinterpreted and associated with female superiority and hatred of men, although most people probably agree that feminism can mean the desire for social and economic parity. There is so much baggage surrounding this term that clarification of what feminism is and is not, is essential. Indeed, the way feminism has developed has not been pretty. “Feminism over the years have [sic] evolved away from its noble purpose of creating awareness and defending women rights to creating new ridiculous ‘belief systems.’...feminism has become more like a medium for angry women to vent their hatred and frustration towards man”(“Feminism is Chauvinism”). This definition goes completely against the true meaning of what feminism entails. Feminism can be defined as a fundamental respect for others and the desire for equality between men and women.
Feminism is defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. It began as an organized activity on behalf of women?s rights and interests. This concept was developed to help women earn a place in a predominantly male society. Unfortunately over the years, the intentions of feminism have become distorted, not only by anti-feminists, but also by the feminists themselves. The principle of equality for women and men has turned into a fight in which feminists wish to be better than men. Feminism has been twisted and misunderstood so much that it has become a harmful idea.
Ogundipe-Leslie, Molora. "The Female Writer and Her Commitment." Women in African Literature Today. Ed. Eldred Durosimi Jones. Trenton, N.J.: Africa World Press, 1987. 5-14.