Characterization and the Construction of Gender Identity in John Habwe’s Maumbile si Huja.
Abstract
This paper analyzes and evaluates characterization and its impact on gender identity in John
Habwe’s novella
Maumbile si Huja
.(1995). The relationship between women and men in literature
continues to draw increasing
interest and concern to literary artists,
researchers and scholars.
Gender studies in literary studies are
continuously being accepted as an area of
academic research
as in the other disciplines.
‘Gender’ is an all
-
round term referring to the relations between women and men that
are
determined
by social interactions. This is as opposed to sex which is determined by biological make
-
up or
nature and is r
arely alterable
. R
oles and functions that women and men perform are mostly
inculcated
in them through the socialization process. Being a social construct, the concept of gender
has to be used cautiously. Oyewumi (1997
:10
) is of the view that gender being a
“social
construction then we must examine the various cultural/architectural sites where it was
constructed.’’ She argues further
that, the
different sites in which gender is constructed is affected
by the various interested parties which were in the firs
t place, part of that construction............
Citation
TIMAMMY RAYYA, SWALEH AMIRI. "4. Characterization and the Construction of Gender Identity in John Habwe’s Maumbile si Huja." International Journal of Education and Research. 2013;vol. 1(No. 9):1-18 .Publisher
University of Nairobi