CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of Study
The struggle for women’ right began in the 18th century during the period of intense intellectual activity known as the Age of Enlightenment.
In traditional Africa the woman is an object of constant scorn,
degradation and physical torture. In the past, women did not exist as
individuals with personalities to defend. They rather existed as mere
docile and exotic accompaniments to the males. Throughout that period,
women lacked a voice to articulate their dilemma and their points of
view. They, thus, accepted their fate without resistance. Such passive
stance results from societal conditioning through questionable cultural
practices. From birth, through childhood and adolescence, to adulthood,
Africans receive from society and others around the messages and
feedbacks which launch them into roles and behaviors considered
appropriate for males and females respectively. Most often, female are
accorded inferior roles and such long years of cultural suppression and
intimidation, unfortunately, misled the women into an underestimation of
their capabilities and self worth. Encased in such a cultural mystique,
the African women were particularly driven by a community sense since
culture obviates individualism. In those days, these women, in addition
to experiencing the same oppressive social condition as their male
counterparts in a developing world, were subjected to extra repressive
burdens arising from the socio-cultural structures of patriarchy and
gender hierarchy. These years of subjugation have, however, produced in
today’s women relentless questioning of the status quo. They protest
against dehumanization, political enslavement and social oppression.
They rationalize that the running of the Africa world is not the
preserve for males and thus there should be absolute equality of both
sexes in all spheres of life. Such a reaction is termed feminism, which
is an ideology that urges, in simple terms, recognition of the claims of
women for equal rights with men.
According to Cora Kaplan (162) Literary text are constructed from
within ideology, and the reality they articulate is dependent on the
historical culture which surrounds them; so too are the literary
critical claims about their truthfulness or authenticity determined by
the culture from which they arise. Helen Chukwuma (xiv) specifically
contends that African feminism is dedicated and informed from within,
from social realities that obtain. One of such realities is the
persistence of sexist socio-psychological paradigm despite the efforts
to overcome “the androcentricism which informs social life”. (Uko, 33)
The persistent sexism in Africa is, however, matched with women’s
continued aggressive demand for equal places in men’s former citadel of
power and privilege. The chorus African women say to men “whatever the
case maybe, you will never again hear us pronounce the words of the
Virgin Mary, ‘thy will be done’ while smiling at your despotic power”.
(Josephine Felicite in Moses, C.G. and Rabine, L. 308-309). They argue
that it is better for men to desire from them those noble and generous
feelings which must exist between equals than those mercenary feelings
which a slave has for his master. Consequent upon this quest and
argument, there is a recent definition of womanhood in the context of
the African cosmic order: “A human being endowed with all the
capabilities and talents required to effectively function and make
impact on all levels of life within society” (Adeife Osemeikhiam, 21).
Notwithstanding the above stance, there still abounds in Africa,
evidence of gender stereotypes which simply means a collection of
commonly held beliefs or opinions about what are “appropriate” behaviors
and activities for males and those that are “appropriate” for females.
As a result of this, even though men support women’s condemnation of
their (women) societal deprivations, men’s language still betrays subtle
inclination to sexist socialization.
The New Lexicon Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language,
Sexism is exemplified firstly as attitudes and institutions, often
unconscious that judge human worth on the grounds of gender or sex.
It is explained as prejudice or discrimination usually against women,
based on their gender. Sexist socialization, therefore, refers to the
process by which infants and children are brought up to imbibe attitudes
and practices that discriminate against women on the grounds of their
gender.
This work examines So Long a Letter with a view to highlight
its characteristic language usage and as well as the psychological
disposition that informs such use of language. Research findings by
anthropologists, educationists and sociolinguistics show that
traditionally, males use non-standard language; females use the language
of rapport while males use the language of report; discursive language
style is meant for women while men are given to the language of theories
and abstractions; females use polite language meant to maintain harmony
and strong relationship as well as to keep conversations open whereas
males use the language of assertiveness and insistence. Women use the
language of solidarity but men use the language of the expert.
Statement of the Problem
Men in Africa make women understand that they, the men, are the head
of the family that is, they are superior to women. They see women as
being weak and as a result, women have no say in the activities of the
community. They have no rights and are subjugated to do whatever he the
men want them to do especially in Africa. Women are made to feel
inferior and this breeds some sort of ill feelings in women.
Objective of the study
The aim of this is to identify how Mariama Ba uses language
to portray feminism – the reaction of females against the oppressive and
discriminatory culture experienced by them – in her novel So Long a Letter.
Significance of the Study
The topic Language in Feminist Literature: a study of Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter, will serve as a good research material to students and other researchers.
This work will throw more light on the language of feminism and its impact to society.
Scope of the Study
This project is restricted primarily to the study of the Language in Feminist Literature in Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter.
Research Methodology
The primary material of this work is Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter while the secondary materials include the various works from the library.