The Role of Women in " a Grain of Wheat "

Jing-Mei characterizes her mother as an ideal parental figure by showing how much hope she has in her daughter. Her mother’s only wishes are to give her daughter more opportunities than she had growing up in China. And by doing this she shows that no matter how many conflicts there is between a mother and daughter, a mother will never give up hope on her daughter. She will cherish her for who she is in the end.

The relationships between mothers and daughters in both pieces distinctly illustrates that actions result in consequences through the various similarities and differences. Two specific mothers throughout both the novel and the film appear to unconditionally support their daughters in any way feasible. The relationship between Ekwefi and Ezinma emerges as a significant bond that shapes the lives of both Ekwefi and Ezinma as well as other characters in the novel. For instance, when Chielo captures Enzima and takes her to Agbala, Ekwefi becomes concerned and follows them to the caves. Traveling through unbearable conditions, walking and running countless miles and even disobeying her religion to simply confirm her daughter's safety. This shows that Ekwefi and Ezinma have a profound connection and will take perilous actions to ensure safety and happiness for one another. Likewise, Vianne would undertake precarious actions to ensure her daughter's safety and satisfaction. For example, in the situation where the river rats’ boat ignites, Vianne plunges into the river and risks her life to assure she finds Anouk safe. This demonstrates that Vianne and Anouk has a compelling relationship and will take extreme measures to ensure the other’s happiness and safety, similar to that of Ekwefi and Ezinma. The actions taken by Vianne and Ekwefi result in a strong, beneficial relationship with their respective daughters and shape the ensuing lives of each character involved. Clearly, these

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie highlights the often challenging lives of Nigerian women living in Africa, but also abroad in the United States. It is however, not the difficulties which Adichie is ultimately focusing on, but the courage and intelligence of women who are able to make ‘small victories’, overcoming various attempts of cultural oppression.

The role of women in society has grown and changed tremendously with the development of the world. Within the American culture, women’s rights have expanded to the extent of being able to vote for who runs our country or even possibly being the person that does run our country. Although the American culture has somewhat promoted the growth of a woman’s role in society, does not mean women receive the same respect in other cultures around world. For example, in Africa women are viewed lower on the totem pole of importance even though without them the village would fall apart. Chinua Achebe is an author that was born and raised in a village of Nigeria. From growing up there, Achebe understands the culture of Africa better than

It is true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother's hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness, he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you. (Achebe 116)

The description of women provided in Olaudah Equiano's and Venture Smith's narratives compared to the European's descriptions of indigenous and African women provided in Jennifer Morgan's paper are distinctive. Equiano and Smith write highly of their mothers while Europeans talk repulsively about African and indigenous women. As a reader, one can infer many opinions about each of the writer's attitudes about the expected gender norms for women at that time such as caretaking, breastfeeding or working. The European perspective utilizes their claim to authority on women through dehumanizing different races and converting them into Christians.

The novel “The Old Chief Mshlanga” is a story about a 14-year-old girl who is growing up on her family’s African plain, who has quickly conformed to her parent’s racial behaviors. In her childhood, she only felt connected to England and never could really relate to the African landscape she has been growing

There is evidence of physical, mental, psychological abuse described from an early age. An alcoholic Father, controlling Mother responsible for a series of abortions made against the will of Malaika. A husband who after physically abusing her, once separated becomes a vicuous stalker inducing a consistent fear. At the central part of the book, a man walks into Malaika's life, a charming man with an accent, a man who seemed foreign to her in many ways, he was kind to her, offered a sanctuary away from her tyrannical husband and family, a role model for her two daughters in the true meaning of a “Father”. It is no surprise to the reader when this knight in shining armour turns out to be too good to be true.

Papa’s final beating of Kambili is sparked by two defiances of Kambili’s. The first being Kambili bringing the painting of a heathen into her father’s house (even going as far as to accept it) and the second is when she refuses to let it go even with her father beating her and telling her how wrong what she is doing is. This final act of brutality by her father is a milestone for Kambili, as it is after this that Kambili blames her father for what he did. When telling Amaka that it was her father who did it to her (“Yes. It was him.” p.220) she is accepting that what her father does is wrong, thus moving away from her blind belief in him and learning her own independence.

Being the only male child in his father's family, Nhamo was the natural choice in whom Babamukuru's money would supply an education. He was to be the saviour of his family, their only hope of moving up, a fact that Nhamo reminded her of constantly. As time progressed, Tambu did not like the way her brother's education caused him to become embarrassed of his own family, and to despise the squalor in which they lived. His new life at Babamukuru's house at the mission had changed him, alienating him from her and his parents.

It’s true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother’s hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland . Your mother is there ot protect you…that is why we say that mother is supreme. (Achebe 134)

These strong, and independent African women authors use insightful and educational language, which invites the western world to be a part of their world through the power of literature. One of the

Her boyfriend refused to believe her because the gain that is associated with becoming a powerful man's "sugar girl" was thought to be irresistible to women, due to the fact that so many women gave into the temptation. In reality, this "temptation" was actually victimization; women like Wariinga who refused to sleep with their bosses were replaced with women who would. In order to break free from her restricted life, Wariinga must go on a quest to find her true identity. But to do this, she must first reject the cultural voice that tells her she is ugly and weak and discover her power as a woman and an individual. Through a journey to her hometown of Ilmorog, Wariinga gradually changes the way she views herself and how she operates in her society; she becomes a feminist. This not only means that she gets to reclaim her sexuality, she also is able to discard what she has assumed to be true about her identity in terms of Christianity, the work force, and the war for national Uhuru (independence). Her role in Uhuru is as important as her process of adopting feminist values.

Elisabeth says then there will never be any solution to the problem of novel in Africa if the Africans wanted a ‘living voice’. The main problem faced by them was because the African writers unlike the French and the English were not acting as writers but were actually behaving like interpreters of their exotic cultures and that the root of their problem was ‘ Having to perform your Africanness at the same time as you write.’

Where Dangarembga diverges from Achebe, is that, while Achebe leaves Okonkwo and his yams king, free to rule over his wives without consequence to their well being, Dangarembga depicts the father figure’s unimpeachable authority as an oppressive element for both Tambu and her cousin Nyasha. Thus, Dangarembga adheres to the template by including its plot, but enters into dialogue with its politics. Nervous Conditions accepts the existence of a unified pre-colonial culture, it also depicts a shift from this culture to a post colonial setting of the mission school. Again, Dangarembga’s novel differs in its politics from Achebe’s in its conclusions of both traditional and post colonial life, it sees the presumption of women as subservient to men as an issue with both communities. This difference between Achebe and Dangarembga can likely be attributed to their different motives in writing. As aforementioned, Achebe was seeking to remind his peers of the value of anchoring the values of government in the morality of traditional rural life, whereas Dangarembga was seeking to build a place in African literature where young girls could find themselves. As described in an interview, Tsitsi talks about why she created characters which young girls could identify with. In the interview Dangarembga describes having felt a lack of both familial and Zimbabwean history, and states that a goal for her novel was to “leave a very real taste of life during the times” that she grew up in. It