Examining Women's struggle for visibility in post-independence Africa in Kekelwa Nyaywa's Hearthstones

Date
2006-11-17T06:59:47Z
Authors
Shilaho, Westen Kwatemba Godwin
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Abstract
This research report focuses on how Kekelwa Nyaywa, a Zambian novelist has represented Zambian women within a span ranging from the colonial up to the independence period. Within the first chapter, a brief history of the Zambian nation is highlighted and a theoretical framework established. Chapter two engages with Nyaywa’s use of romance to make a commentary on the idea of nationalism. By so doing she redefines the concept of romance which has invariably been associated with ‘frivolity’. The third chapter revolves around Chipembi boarding school which the author uses to feminize key issues in the Zambian society. The pivot of the chapter is that this space is a metaphor for women’s liberation in Zambia. HIV/AIDS fueled by a ‘macho syndrome’ emerges in the fourth chapter as the single biggest threat to Zambian women’s lives. Finally, the conclusion investigates the trends of feminism that the author foregrounds in the book.
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Student Number : 0413402D - MA research report - Faculty of Humanities
Keywords
Kekelwa Nyaywa, Zambian novelist, Zambian women, represented, colonial period, independence period, Chipembi boarding school, Zambian society, HIV/AIDS, ‘macho syndrome’
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