Abstract

This long essay entitled “patriarchy and the quest to Emancipation in just Another Woman” by Mfone Nde-Zama is based has its main objective to examine the practice of patriarchy and emancipation in Just Another Woman by Mfone Nde-Zama.

The hypothesis of this study holds that education is the main tool or strategy to emancipate or liberate women from harsh Patriarchy ruled. This work examines the play in just another woman, act one and act two to sort out issues of patriarchy and emancipation. This research paper examines discourse on patriarchy and female identity and assertiveness in chapters one and two.

It equally shows women’s role in the quest for education in societies dominated by men, which makes the society patriarchal in chapter two. It was found out that many cases of patriarchy exist in just another in addition to the quest for emancipation through education.

It was concluded that women should be given equal rights as men in the home and the society and all societies should review their ancestral traditions to redefine all laws that place too much authority on the men over the women so that the home and society can be a better place for everyone.

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Women have generally suffered marginalization from patriarchal societies; Male domination in such societies is generally revealed through set values, beliefs, customs, and even tradition. Man is seen in the context as a decision-maker, winner protector, and savior. He is placed in a superior position and by the laws of society.

Women’s liberty is an age-long phenomenon in human history. In recent literary scholarship, women scholars demonstrate not only an awareness of the fact that they are oppressed but also a determination to overcome the oppressive banners that hinder their psychological intellectual, and socio-political emancipation.

It is important to note that women were also represented negatively in literature, they had little or no major or important role to play in literature in particular, the status of women in the Victorian era, women were seen by the middle class as belonging to this stereotype require them to provide their husbands with a clean home, food on the table and to raise the children. Women’s right was extremely limited in this era as they lost ownership of their physical property.

The plight of the African women is different from that of the western women because of their different environments, beliefs, and ideas. Therefore, this can be seen from the fact that women are considered as property, especially by their fathers in the way they are been sold out as commodities, mothers, prostitutes, and fragile persons who have no voice and cannot make decisions on their own.

Their place is meant to be in the kitchen, doing other household chores like catering for their children and knitting clothes. In a nutshell, a woman is a liability because of this ill-treatment, women are determined to fight for their rights, thus the struggle to have power in all spheres of life, be it politically, socially and culturally, economically, and even religiously.

This, therefore, shows that women have a say in aspects that do not only concern them but also issues around them. Feminist scholars and those who believe in women’s emancipation have taken the lead in changing the role of women in their novels in relation to gender and sex. In contemporary society, women are no longer considered as only baby nurturers.

The world’s view about women had drastically changed as we see women occupy posts of responsibility in all domains. It is in this light that Frances Beale in her article titled “double jeopardy; to be black and female” says: “it is depth degradation to be socially manipulated, physically raped, used to undermine your own household and to be powerless to reverse this syndrome”(92).

It is important to note that in the past years, women were being treated as liabilities and they never had a say in society. Men claimed that “their jobs ended on the kitchen” patriarchy was dominating force and this hindered the development of women as their rights and freedom are seized by women in these patriarchal societies.

With the passing of time and the evolution of worlds, women decided to express themselves through storytelling and books with hopes of gaining sexual equality, freedom of speech as well as the rights to which they were entitled. Due to this evolution of the world, the women who were considered “the weaker sex “have been awarded better opportunities rights and freedom but remain dissatisfied as they demand equality.

Man Simone de Beauvoir (1986) in her book The Second Sex” states that “in the midst of an abstract, it is vexing to hear a man, it is the woman who is always in the wrong”(534). Mary Wollstonecraft holds that the lack of education or illiteracy is the main force behind the marginalization and discrimination against women.

In her book issues in feminism: an introduction to women’s studies, shielar Ruth (2007) quotes “I have thought over various books written on the topic: but what has been the conclusion a profound conviction that the neglected education of fellow creatures is the ground source of misery…”(579).

The states of women authorship, but the nature of their depiction within third world nations like the Caribbean, African, American, and African literacy tradition are certainly issues of great relevance women from these societies pen down their experience in their respective literature be it drama, prose and poetry and even short stories.

African women writers similarity are marginalized by their male counterparts and their works most at the time remain unacknowledged by literary critics given the fact that the advent of African literature was male-oriented the writings of African women were equally relegated to the waters like chinua Achebe, wole Soyinka, ngugiWaThiango, Mbella sonneDioko, AlobwedEpie, Mfone Nde-Zama just to mention a few highlights.

The fact that female writers did not exist may be that they were given attention to some of the early female writers like Florence Nwapa, Ama Ata Aidon nawal et SAdaawi, Buch Emecheta, Osenge Tess Onwueme Magrate Afuh, Mary seconde were respected in their different society because of their respective arts forms

Statement of problem

The presence of males and females in society has created a lot of discomfort and imbalance since these two beings do not have equal rights and responsibilities; one is trying to dominate and control the other.

Patriarchy has been the order of the day in many societies as women are dominated, role and even maltreated by men. For this reason, they have been a quest for emancipation by many women. But man still remains dominant by strength and the women as the “weaker sex”.

This means it will not be by strength for women to be emancipated but by the help of the laws and the society that double man’s superiority over the woman. Even though the laws and the society agree to help them, they should never desire to be the head or empower over the man; such is biblically incorrect though the society and law can permit such impossibility.

In many contexts, the quest for women’s emancipation or freedom is not that women desire to have control or be the head over the men but it due to the maltreatment they suffered from unloving, uncaring and irresponsible men.

A man ought to love while a woman ought to submit. Most women love to rule by men but the problem is how they are ruled. This study seeks to find out about patriarchy rule over women and the quest for emancipation in “Mfone Nde-Zama; Just another woman”.

Objective (aim) of study

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how women in society are marginalized, manipulated, discriminated and lorded over by men. It also aims at portraying the fact that women contribute to their own problems and this is seen in how they fight each thus assisting the patriarchal societies finally, the work focuses on patriarchy and the quest for emancipation.

Specific objectives are to:

1. Examine cases of patriarchy over women in just another woman
2. To determine the fight for the emancipation of women is just another woman
3. To examine the relationship between Patriarchy and emancipation in just another woman.

Research questions

With the above problem in mind the following questions remain the pre-occupation of this study:

Specific questions

1. What are some of the cases of patriarchy in just another woman?
2. How are women’s quest for emancipation handled in just another woman?
3. What is the relationship between patriarchy and emancipation in just another woman?