KABORE Jean Jacques
Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Burkina Faso
kabore23jeanjacques@gmail.com
Abstract
Women have always been portrayed in African literature as being victims of subjugation and oppression since Africa is a patriarchal-oriented society. But it turns out that contemporary writers, notably dramatists, represent women who call for female characters to abide by patriarchal norms, since it is any woman’s burden. This leads to wondering if conformity to patriarchal norms is what makes a woman’s identity. However, this article aims to show how women’s conformity to patriarchal norms shapes their identity, represented in Faustina Brew’s The Prisoner, Tsitsi Dangarembga’s She No Longer Weeps, and Ama Ata Aidoo’s Anowa. To that end, the work relies on Judith Butler’s Gender Performativity as a theoretical framework. The study reveals that women voluntarily accept living according to patriarchal values and prejudices to be well appreciated and perceived by the community, and for fear of being ostracised and isolated.
Keywords: Conformity, Patriarchy, Women, Identity, Gender
