FEMINIST AESTHETICS IN OLA ROTIMI’S OUR HUSBAND HAS GONE MAD AGAIN AND FEMI OSOFISAN’S MOROUNTODUN
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ABSTRACT
This research project deals with the cultural influence on women’s emancipation, which is the concept of feminism as a worldwide theory, ideology, and political movement directed at changing the existing power relation between man and woman. This work attempt to re-analysis of gender equality from the pre-colonial to post-colonial period and also reveal how the themes of gender discrimination, exploitation, and hardship are carefully handled in Femi Osofisan’s Morountodun and Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again. The works identified sociolinguistic factors such as age, gender, religion, education, occupation, and culture as factors affecting the use of language in terms of what one says and how it is concerning feminism. It also identified the numerous forces militating against the right of African women, especially in the traditional setting, and blamed them on some cultural beliefs and customs which are destructive enough to keep women perpetually in the background. The study has shown that as long as men wield power, women will continue to be subjugated, oppressed, and suppressed.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background to the study
Feminism as a literary theory is an ideology, which tends towards female liberation in society. According to Joseph, Feminism as an ideology of social commitment to the struggle for female liberation in society through conscious and collective effort (199) Feminist criticism proceeds from the assumption that “the history of all the societies is the history patriarch of male domination and exploitation of women” a situation, which has hindered the actualization of women’s possibilities aid potentials in all fields of human Endeavour. (19) Women all over the world are crying for the liberation of their identity, women are only seen but not to be heard, due to the belief that they are weaker set, men take over every aspect of life thereby subjecting women to domestic slave, Feminism like a maximum is concerned about societal inequalities. It is also a literary ideology founded on the need to develop a female tradition of creativity to cause awareness on the high of women as the oppressed, deprived subjected, and unfulfilled gender according to Obioma Women should not be seen as objects to decorate the homes but they should be regarded as major contributors to the destiny of the nation without really affecting the role as matters and wolves as home. (49) Women should no longer be decorative accessories, objects to be moved about, and companions to be flatted or claimed with promises, they should see themselves as nation’s primary fundamental roots, from which all else grows and blossom, women encouraged to take a keen interest in the destiny of the country (77) It is on this background that several African Feminist writers like Flora Nwapa, Zaynab Alkalie, etc advocate equal rights for women. The writers are gradient in their approaches to women emancipation as they portray the ability of their rural women to be part with men in farming African male writers have presented better myths and images of women in their plays. Writing, such writers include Wole Soyinka, Ngugi Wathiong and Olu Obafemi have recognized the potential of women to complement the efforts of men to transform society in his play The Trial of Dedan Kimath, the women is seen as they champion the oppressed Kenyans. She mobilizes the youths mainly girls to free Kimath. The imprisoned leader of man, man freedom fighters, therefore, with the use of Rotimi’s work Our Husband has gone mad again, mainly act by men to enslave women will be analyzed. Also, through the work of Osifisan’s morountodun, some cultural practices that forfeit women’s rights, personality shall be analyzed and needs to stop.
Feminism Raji (1999:228) says feminism concerns itself with contemporary agitation by women for social economics, political and cultural equality with male counterparts”. Most feminists are especially concerned with social, political and economic inequality between men and women. First inaugurated in the sixties, feminist criticism proceeds from the assumption that “the history of all the societies is the history patriarch of male domination and exploitation of women, a situation which women clam has hundred the actualization of women’s possibilities aid potentials in all fields of human endeavour. Just as feminism claimed in murices, feminists behave that literature represents a very strong infrastructural support of this patriarchal ideology Abram says:
Typically, the most highly regarded literary works on the male protagonist to these, the female characters when they play a role are marginal end subordinate… and implicitly addressed to male readers either leave the women reader as an alien outsider or else solicit her to identify….and ways of perceiving.(208)
Feminism like Marxism is concerned about societal inequalities. It is also a literary ideology founded on the need to develop a female tradition of creativity to cause awareness on the high of women as the oppressed, deprived, subjugated, and unfulfilled gender. It is directed against patriarchal hegemony which according to Josephy (2003) “gives men confidence, subordination the female to male or treats the female as an inferior being
Marxism recognizes that women are oppressed, and attributes the oppression to the capitalist/private property system. Thus, it insists that the only way to end the oppression of women is to overthrow the capitalist system (Christian, 1985). Marxism and feminism as schools of thought are different but they have a meeting point while Marxism deals with class stratification between the wealthy and the poor, feminism discusses gender discrimination between the oppressing male and oppressed female. The bottom line is that they are both fighting for the same cause which is the liberation of the people from oppression, exploitation and domination.
Feminism as an ideology later pined a fertile ground in Africa in the 1960’s Obioma Nnaemeka (995) establishes the fundamental purpose of the discussion when she asserts that:
Fermium provides the opportunity of evaluating attitudes and misconceptions about women which have been buttressed all along both by African culture and the misogynous tradition of European colonial masters. (p.34)
Feminist Aesthetic in Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again and Femi Osofisan’s Morountodun
Where are varieties of African feminism feminist writers like Acholonu behave that women should not be seen as objects to decorate the homes but they should be regarded as major contributors to the destiny of the nation without really affecting the roles as mothers and wives at home in her article titled “Buchi Emecheta” (1988) acholonu says:
Women should no longer be decorative accessories, objects to be moved about, and companions to be flattered or claimed with promises. They should see themselves as the nation’s primary fundamental roots, from which all else grows and blossoms. Women must be encouraged to take a keen interest in the destiny of the country. (p.65)
African feminist writers can be grouped in for the liberal and the radical Encydopeadia of the feminist theory says liberal feminism “advocates equal rights for women”. The writers are gradient in their approaches to women’s emancipation as they portray the ability of their rural women to be at par with men in farming. Writers in these categories include flora Nwapa, Zaynab Alkali and they base most of their early works on rural protagonists who are created to realize their fund potentials as human beings and to contribute the special demine quota to the general improvement of the society. The radical feminist writer on the other hand approaches women’s literature from the materialist perspective. It is an approach to feminist thinking and action which maintains that the sex-gender system is the fundamental cause of women’s oppression.
Writers in the category include Molara Ogundipa Leslie, Mariam Ba, and Animata snowfall. Radical and liberal as types of African feminism are different in their approach to writings. Radical feminists are a harsh, militant, and most forceful form of feminism. Radicalism believes that women are oppressed as a result of their sex/gender while a liberal is slow and lenient in their writings in the sense that, they advocates equal rights for men.
They rebel against anything that subjugates or relegates women to the background. The radicalizes relegated women to the background. The radicalizes and the liberalists advocate joint efforts across gender in solving human problems, aid in developing a solid society, again, they behave in education as a weapon that women need to challenge patriarchy. On the whole, the bottom line is that they are both fighting for the same cause which is the liberation of self-expression, self-fulfillment in a world that is male-dominated. Talking about Zaynab Alkali’s stubbornness from the liberal perspective. Alkali compasses women’s need for economic independence but also the need for women to work with men to build a new society. Zaynab concerns in her works the plight of the rural woman, whose effort to satisfy the man is trivialized. The novel encloses and records the heartaches and disappointment of the women in the society the presents the values of virtue and self-determination for the self-construction of women in a patriarchal society. She endows with trampy through her tough and indomitable determination.
She becomes truly liberated from humiliation, betrayal, oppression, and brutalization in the hands of Habu Adams. Li finds education as the key to her freedom from male subjugation and dehumanization and therefore puts the past behind and focuses on the future. Zaynab builds a vision of a better’s life based on economic independence, self-sacrifice, and solidarity between men and women. Also, we shall consider Marian Ba’s so long a letter from the radical perspective. Ba’s works treat issues of conflicts for survival in an oppressive society and freedom from subjugation. An example of this is Aissaton in so long letter who struggled to survive in African patriarchal society. Marian uses education as a weapon needed for the challenges of self-determination. She creates two females friends Aissatou and Ramatoulaye who face matrimonial disappointments with their respective polygamous husbands. Aissation gets imbued with the near spirit of liberation gained through her education and intellect and refuses to accept any self-made destruction to oppress her. Women are portrayed in this novel in different guises of check patriarchy. They are portrayed as friends’ enemies within to expose the effects of patriarchy on them and to put a cheek on it. African male playwrights and other characters African male playwrights have presented better myths and images of women in their writings writers include Wole Soyinka, Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Olu Obafemi. Soyinka’s autobiographies inevitably present strong women because that was how things were in reality as we are familiar with the history of Abeokuta women as a strong force for women’s mobilization against oppression. These playwrights depict their female characters as being strong, resourceful, and skillful against the mundane opinion of some writers who point to women as being second fiddle. They have presented myths and images of women in most of their works. We shall use Olu Obafemi wheals suicide syndrome and Ngug: Wa Thiong’o the Trial of Dedan Kumathi to show that they have presented more positive images of women consistently. Olu Obafemi’s suicide syndrome also created a positive role for women in his play. To him women have a dynamic role in society and should not be seen as second-class citizens.
The market women in the play protest against the contemptible ways of the bourgeois class which claims there is austerity and declares an emergency. Yeye Oja, the matriarchal head mobilizes her colleagues to fight against the ruling elite that keeps them in abject poverty. Also in his novel wheels, Obafemi recognizes the role which women are playing. This is conveyed through the characters of Abeke and Kemi, who both participate in their own individual significant ways in the task of nation-building. Kemi is portrayed positively and given a very wholesome personality. She comes across as vivacious courageous, sensitive, and highly motivated participating actively in the social transformation of her society and taking a catalytic part in the entire process. To this extent, Obafemi has recognized the potential of women to complement the efforts of men to transform society.
Feminist Aesthetic in Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again and Femi Osofisan’s Morountodun
In the trial of Dedan Kimathi, the playwrights identify women as an integral part of the guerilla movement. The role women play cannot be over-emphasized Mugo and Ngugi see women in the evolutional struggle as an embodiment of unity, loyalty, and faithfulness. The women in the trial of Dedan Kimath are seen as the champion of the oppressed Kenyans. She mobilizes the youths, mainly the body and girl to free Kimathi, the imprisoned leader of man, man freedom fighters.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The injustice and negative portrayal of females in African society and African literary works by most African male writers have led to clashes between male and female writers. The problem has made writers disagree in their perception and ideas about Feminism in African Fiction.
In some African literary works, there has been the problem of maltreatment of women by men in African fiction. The female characters are mostly maltreated and portrayed negatively as men extremity to male characters. Therefore, this research is set to investigate the manners in which female children are deprived of their rights in African society
READ ALSO:A FEMINIST READING OF MOBOLAJI ADENUBI’S EMPTY ARMS AND HILARY ROUSE-AMADI’S AMINA
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to examine the Feminist aesthetic, using two carefully, selected plays as primary data, Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband has gone mad again and Femi Osifisan’s Morountodun. Using radical feminism to show that women should be treated equally as men and that gender difference is no excuse for maltreatment. This work aims at bringing out how cultural practices affect women, the pain it bring and the overall survival of the female gender, the roles they could play in their community to make society a better place it also focuses on how women have struggled side by side with their male counterparts against the general injustice and oppression that the few privileged.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The importance of women in any given society cannot be underestimated and this research work will be significant in the following ways:
- It will reveal how women take part in revolutionary activities.
- It will also reveal how women play an active role with men in the development of society.
- It will also help men to learn how to value their women knowing that women are also human beings.
- It will also help other researchers to have the fall knowledge on the importance of women in society and the need to treat them with care and love as the carriers of generation and life.
1.5 Research Methodology
This research will be based on library research, the primary source of information will be Rotimi’s Our husband has gone mad again and Osifisan’s Morountodun. The research shall also source for information from the relevant internet.
1.6 Scope and Delimitation
The scope of the study shall be limited to Feminist aesthetic in Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband has gone mad again and Femi Osofisan’s Morountodun. The scope will not extend to other areas; as a result, the limitations will by no means affect the result of the study.
1.7 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this research work are intended specifically;
- To ascertain why women are maltreated in African society using Rotimi’s Our husband has gone mad again and Osofisan’s Morountodun
- To examine and investigate hoes women are represented in African fiction
iii. To also examine the effect of deprivation of women’s rights.
1.8 Bio-Data of Ola Rotimi
Oluwale Gladstone Emmanuel Rotimi was born on 13th April 1938. A native of Sapele Delta State, Nigeria. He attended St. Cyprians School, in Port Harcourt from 1945 to 1949 St. Judas School, Lagos, from 1951 to 1952, and Methodist Boys High School in Lagos before traveling to the United State in 1959 to study at Boston University where he obtained a BA in Fine Arts in 1965 he married Hazel Mea Guadreau.
In 1966, he obtained MA from Yale School of Drama where he earned the destination of being a Rockefeller foundation school in playwriting and dramatic literature. On his return to Nigeria, he taught at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) during the 1960s due to political conditions in Nigeria he spent much of the 1990s living in the Caribbean and the United State, where he taught at Manchester College. His work of art includes the God of Iron, Our husband has gone mad again (1966) The Gods are not to blame (1968) Holding Talles (1978) Oyonramwen Nogbasi (1971) hopes of the living dead (1985) When the criminals become judges. (Unpublished) Ola Rotimi passed into glory on 18th August 2000 at the age of 62.
Feminist Aesthetic in Ola Rotimi’s Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again and Femi Osofisan’s Morountodun
1.8.1 Bio Data of Femi Osofisan
Babafemi Adeyemi Osofisan was born in June 1946, a native of Eronwon Village in Ogun State. Osifisan attended primary school at Government school Ife and Secondary school at Government College, Ibadan. He attended the University of Ibadan (1966-1969) he moved to the University of Dakar, Senegal and postgraduate studies Sarbonne Paris. He held faculty positions at the University of Ibadan. He became a professor of Theater Arts, Kwara State University and was retired in 2011.
He is Vice President (West Africa) at the Pan African writer association. In 2016, he became the first African to be awarded the Prestigious Tholia Prize by the International Association of Theater Critics. His selected works are Kolera Kolej (1975) The chattering and the song (1977) Morountodun and other plays (1982) Minted Coins (1987) Another Rafle (1988) Once upon four Robbers (1991) “Twingle Twangle” (1992), etc. The Album of the midnight blackout (1994) Tegonni (1999) Theater and the Pete (1999) etc.
1.9 Definition of Terms
- Aesthetic: It is an intellectual and art movement that support values more than social-political themes for literature, fine music, and other arts
- Feminist: It refers to a group of people that opines for legal and social restrictions on females must be removed in order to bring about equality of both sexes in all aspects of public and private life.
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