SOURCE:

Faculty: Arts
Department: Igbo, African & Chinese Studies

CONTRIBUTORS:

Obi, N.M;
Okodo, A.k;

ABSTRACT:

This work sets out to examine the portrayals of women major characters in selected Igbo plays. Over the years, women have suffered stringent oppression from both traditional and modern African societies due to the unsatisfactory appreciation of the significance of women in life. There have been gender discrimination and oppression which aimed at the subordination of African women in general and Igbo women in particular. It is the male subjugation of women folk borne out of various oppressive cultural practices and patriarchal structures that brought about feminist agitations. This has over the years led to feminist writings. Feminist writing is informed by feminist thinking, theory, ideology and philosophy. This, therefore, motivated the researcher into finding out how far gender inequality and the unsatisfactory appreciation of the significance of women in life has meandered into imaginative literature. This will be ascertained by studying how the Igbo male and female playwrights portray the women major characters in their plays. This exercise is aimed at finding out whether Igbo male and female playwrights subjugate their female major characters in their plays. To carry out this work effectively, the study adopted the survey research method. The researcher critically studied six selected Igbo plays. Three of these are authored by Igbo male playwrights and they include Nwata Rie Awq, Obidiya and Okwe Agbaala while the other three which are authored by female Igbo playwrights include: Qnodu Ugo, Ihe Onye Metere and Akp[r[ Richie Xzq (O Were Anya Zie Ozi). In addition, some literatures relevant to the study were reviewed to increase the knowledge of the researcher. Thus, adequate information was collected and analyzed. The theoretical approach adopted for the study is Alice Walker’s Womanism. At its core, womanism is said to be a social change perspective based upon the everyday problems and experiences of black women and other women of colour, but more broadly seeks methods to eradicate inequalities not just for black women, but for all people. This literary approach is relevant to this study because it advocates meaningful union between black women, black men, and black children. In other words, the womanist’s contention is that people have to co-exist peacefully in the family as well as in the society. It is hoped that this work will help people generally to change their negative attitude to gender issues. The researcher recommends that both Igbo male and female playwrights will try to create positive male and female characters which will serve as role models for the readers to emulate, especially students.