| dc.description.abstract | In search of a positive image of the African woman in literary texts, this thesis
examines the portrayal of female characters in The River And The Source (1995) by
Margaret Ogola and Coming To Birth (1986) by Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye. It
assesses the women characters in relation to their adaptability to the changing culture
alongside the growth of a new nation Kenya.
At the centre of the study is the premise that, until very recently, the image of the
African woman in literature has not been positive. In fact, the African literary world
has been dominated by male writers who continually fashion their female characters
out of an all obedient stereotypic traditional wife. It is our argument therefore, that
Margaret Ogola and Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye, as female novelists aim to correct this
negative image of African women.
This thesis endeavors to show that despite the different cultural backgrounds of the
two writers, they have set out to mould a new image of a woman. The new woman is
born out of a patriarchal society whose traditions impede the growth and freedom of
women. Margaret Ogola and Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye build characters that break
out of the community barriers that block their progress and venture into fields that are
generally thought of as male domains. In so doing, they emerge as characters in
control of their destinies. As female novelist~, Ogola and Macgoye identify, with
women characters, moulding them from a female perspective in readiness for a gender
equitable world. This thesis traces the moulding process in the two novels until a new
product is born - a more positive image of a woman. | en |
