Moulding a new image: gender perspectives In margaret ogola's the river and the Source and marjorie oludhe macgoye's Coming to birth

Abstract

In search of a positive image of the African woman in literary texts, this thesis examines the portrayal of female characters in The River And The Source (1995) by Margaret Ogola and Coming To Birth (1986) by Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye. It assesses the women characters in relation to their adaptability to the changing culture alongside the growth of a new nation Kenya. At the centre of the study is the premise that, until very recently, the image of the African woman in literature has not been positive. In fact, the African literary world has been dominated by male writers who continually fashion their female characters out of an all obedient stereotypic traditional wife. It is our argument therefore, that Margaret Ogola and Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye, as female novelists aim to correct this negative image of African women. This thesis endeavors to show that despite the different cultural backgrounds of the two writers, they have set out to mould a new image of a woman. The new woman is born out of a patriarchal society whose traditions impede the growth and freedom of women. Margaret Ogola and Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye build characters that break out of the community barriers that block their progress and venture into fields that are generally thought of as male domains. In so doing, they emerge as characters in control of their destinies. As female novelist~, Ogola and Macgoye identify, with women characters, moulding them from a female perspective in readiness for a gender equitable world. This thesis traces the moulding process in the two novels until a new product is born - a more positive image of a woman.