Women And Subjugation: An Evaluation Of Feminist Rhetoric In Selected Novels By Mary Karooro Okurut, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Unity Dow, Elieshi Lema And Kaleni Hiyalwa

ABSTRACT

This study is an examination of feminist rhetoric in selected novels by African women fiction writers namely The Official Wife by Mary Karooro Okurut, Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Screaming of the Innocent by Unity Dow, Parched Earth by Elieshi Lema and Meekulu’s Children by Kaleni Hiyalwa. The focus was to evaluate women fiction writers’ perspectives on social, economic and political subjugation of women and how they employ persuasive tools in their writing to persuade the readers. The study was primarily a qualitative, desktop research where a total of five novels were purposefully selected and analysed. The analysis used Aristotelian proofs of persuasion and invitational rhetoric theories. The Aristotelian theory is used to show how the selected novels employ persuasive arguments in articulating the social, economic and political oppression of women. Invitational rhetoric theory assists in determining how the novels promote the idea of equality, immanent value and self-determination in dialogic contexts. This study contributes to the understanding of feminist rhetoric, and recognises the presence of women rhetors who in history, have been ignored.
Based on the findings of the selected novels, it is revealed that patriarchal settings are the reasons for women’s subjugation in different societies. Male dominated institutions make it challenging for women to make their contributions as they desire. It is shown that women characters in the selected novels are conscious of the oppression they undergo, but some allow it to advance due to economic reasons and fear of breaking cultural norms. Others are not deterred by societal conventions, but rather are strong challengers of patriarchy. Remarkably, the study found out that even as women are striving for self recognition, they are willing to work together with male counterparts.
The study further indicates that women employ persuasive techniques in articulating their plights. Women characters provide evidence to support the validity of the arguments made in voicing the injustice of patriarchal societies. The logical proofs presented evoke emotions when the audience learns the kind of hardships they face at the hands of their male counterparts. Furthermore, the study concludes that women characters in the selected novels adopt strategic agency to combat patriarchal settings that oppress and silence them and this makes their deportments credible, manifesting Aristotle’s proofs of persuasion. It has also been found that education seems to be the key to economic, political and social freedom to women and that
without it some women tend to depend on their spouses and in return give them hegemonic power to subjugate them further. In addition, this study reveals that invitational rhetoric promotes equality, immanent value and self determination of both genders.
The study recommends that future studies use the same theoretical frameworks in combination with the reader-response theory to examine feminist rhetoric to determine how readers are impacted by novels. Future studies should be conducted to underscore the importance of employing invitational rhetoric in conversations to enhance equality, self-determination and immanent value of all participants in conversations.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS PAGE(S)
Abstract… ii
Table of contents… iv
Acknowledgments… ix
Dedication… x
Declaration… xi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION… 1
Background of the study 1
Statement of the problem… 8
Objectives of the study 9
Significance of the study 9
Limitations of the study 10
Delimitations of the study 10
Methodology 10
Research design… 10
Population… 11
Sample… 11
Procedure 12
Data analysis 12
Research ethics… 13
1.7 Outline of the chapters… 13
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW… 16
Introduction… 16
What is feminism? 17
African feminism… 17
Understanding patriarchy and oppression of women… 27
Education and women’s participation in politics… 34
Manifestation of patriarchy in religion… 41
Female depiction in African male authored literature 43
Male depiction in African female authored literature 47
Challenges of African feminism 49
Feminist rhetoric 52
Rhetoric as persuasion… 60
Rhetorical style… 63
Invitational rhetoric at work… 65
Offering perspectives… 68
External conditions… 70
The connection between invitational rhetoric and Aristotelian rhetoric 71
Theoretical frameworks of the study 72
Aristotelian rhetorical theory 72
Invitational rhetorical theory 75
Criticisms of invitational rhetoric 78
Chapter summary 80
CHAPTER 3: SELF-FULFILMENT AND RESILIENCE AS ROUTES TO FREEDOM IN THE OFFICIAL WIFE BY MARY KAROORO OKURUTU 82
Introduction… 82
Transcending the norms: Challenges of the polygamous marriage 83
Embracing sisterhood… 93
Women objectified: Women seen as sex objects… 97
Resilience as an act of freedom… 99
Chapter summary 102
CHAPTER 4: WOMEN CLAIMING THEIR FREEDOM IN THE SCREAMING OF THE INNOCENT BY UNITY DOW… 103
Introduction… 103
Women confronting patriarchy 105
Empowering women through education… 121
Standing strong in the midst of subjugation: Oppressive dialogue 126
Towards inclusivity: Cooperative dialogue 134
Chapter summary 140
CHAPTER 5: WOMEN’S SUBJUGATION AND ACTION TO FREEDOM IN PURPLE HIBISCUS BY CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE 142
Introduction… 143
Subjugating women: Obedience through violence 144
Action of freedom: Transcending the norms… 157
Suppression through religion and culture 166
Invitational rhetoric: Detrimental dialogue 169
Cooperative dialogues… 171
Creating external conditions… 171
Embracing feminist principles… 174
Chapter summary 177
THE INFLUENCE OF HEGEMONIC PATRIARCHY IN LOVE AFFAIRS IN ELIESHI LEMA’S NOVEL PARCHED EARTH 179
Introduction… 179
Denied love as a means to determination… 181
The man as a pillar of strength… 195
Shaping the future of an African woman… 200
An invitation to an understanding of patriarchy: A conversation… 206
Chapter summary 210
THE STATE OF WOMEN IN THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AND EDUCATION IN KALENI HIYALWA’S NOVEL MEEKULU’S CHILDREN. 213
Introduction… 213
The participation of women in the liberation struggle… 215
Why do you always objurgate men… 226
Women and education in pre-independent Namibia… 232
The Elombe people and invitational rhetoric 237
Chapter summary 241
 CONCLUSIONS 243
Introduction… 243
Summary of findings 243
Conclusions of the research findings in the context of the theoretical frameworks 243
Conclusions… 247
Contribution to new knowledge 255
Recommendations for future researches… 257
REFERENCES 258