L'images des personnages feminins dans Une si longue lettre de Mariama Ba et Riwan ou le chemin de sable de Ken Bugul
Date
2011-08-22
Authors
Tonleu, Madeleine
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Abstract
Through a thematic content analysis, this dissertation analyses how Mariama
Bâ in So long a letter (1979) and Ken Bugul in Riwan ou le chemin de sable (1999)
perceive the image of African women. This work is focused as well on the ambiguity
of the situation of these women who are torn between modernity and tradition.
Mariama Bâ raises the issue of women’s emancipation as that of
complementarities between men and women and not as that of confrontation. She
doesn’t conceive African feminism as a requirement of modern times because
everything is not admissible in modernity; but believes a controlled evolution of
mentalities is necessary for the balance of the society.
On the other hand, Ken Bugul questions all the concepts and ideas that have
been received so far on the issue of the status of women in Africa. She thinks women
can find happiness in a polygamous marriage, and beyond this a way of rehabilitation.
She presents “modern” women as victims in monogamous spousal relationships and
believes they have lost their cultural identity.
Description
MA (French), Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011
Keywords
african women, perception, image, fiction, French