Nationhood and Women in Postcolonial African Literature

Abstract

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Merchandising the Girl-Child: An Angle of Reading Ngugi Wa Thiong'o and Ngugi Wa Mirii's I Will Marry When I Want, Efua Sutherland's The Marriage of Anansewa and Sembene Ousmane's Xala

“…In Asia and African societies, women are 'scarified' in the larger interest of the nation", (p. 122). Such marginalization and subordination of women, according to Hungwe and Hungwe (2010) are the result of African tradition of masculinity. It must be stated at this point that, in the subsequent discussion, attention is focused on each of the three girl-child characters or protagonists in the three respective texts for discussion: their portrayal in relation to their families, the economic conditions of their parents and, the role each plays in the arrangement of her intended marriage are highlighted.…”