| Summary: | 198 pages === Critics have tended to examine the portrayals of women in African
literature either by focusing mainly on works by men or by emphasizing only
women's texts. My dissertation looks at both men and women authors, tracing the
representations of women in African writings from the earliest literary endeavors
of Francophone African writers to contemporary times. By considering at least two
authors of each generation of men and women writers, the thesis examines the
interplay of colonialism, religion, patriarchy and traditional practices and their
contribution to the subordination of African women. My adoption of the term
subalternity to read African texts draws on Gramsci's idea of revolt, the episodic
march of the oppressed to achieve what he called permanent victory. My use of
the word subaltern here relates to the African woman subordinated by colonial,
religious, patriarchal, and traditional forces.
Francophone colonial and post-colonial writings such as Senghor's
Chants d'ombre, Diop's Coups de pi/on, Beti's Mission terminee and Le Pauvre
Christ de Bomba, Kourouma's Les Soleils des independances and Ousmane's
Les Bouts de bois de Dieu represent traditional depictions of women by male
authors. Ba's Une si longue lettre and Un chant ecarlate, Rawiri's Fureurs et eris
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de femme, Keita's Rebe/le and Yaou's Le Prix de la revolte, in contrast, illustrate
the roles of women as seen through th~ eyes of African female writers. My aim in
considering literary works by both men and women is to offer a balanced account
of the evolution of the portrayal of women in sub-Saharan African narrative. I
make a judicious use of certain Western theories even though I work within the
framework of Third World cultures. I am aware of the social and cultural
differences that make it important to heed Nnaemeka's warnings that anybody
working on African texts should listen to the heartbeat of lgboland and respect
African values. Nevertheless, I am convinced that listening tb the heartbeat of the
Wesl can help to redefine some of the African traditions that subalternize women.
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