The portrayal of female characters in jane Kaberuka’s silent patience

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Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Guided by a feminist theory, particularly the African Feminism variant, this study examined the portrayal of women in Kaberuka’s Silent Patience (1999). The driving motive behind engaging in such a study stemmed from the fact that recently, there has been a marked awareness about the portrayal of women particularly in fictions and criticism. As a result, it becomes imperative to identify, interrogate, and critique socio-cultural gender milieu as established and perpetuated in societies owing to the fact that, their impacts are multifaceted. In this vein, the study confined itself on the Rwandese socio-cultural aspects as practised among the Tutsi ethnic group in a Ugandan setting. It was established from the findings that the narrative in Kaberuka’s Silent Patience portrays women both positively and negatively. While portraying women within the traditionally cherished perspectives that they are caring and with a domesticated mentality as positive attributes under the patriarchal yardstick, the narrative goes further by interrogating such established social conventions on women by portraying some elements such as women’s aggression and militancy as also positive attributes, which traditionally would be termed negative. Since this study involved only one text, the study recommends that other women’s writings within East Africa should be comparing them with Kaberuka’s Silent Patience through its portrayal of women. Alternatively, they may be studied on their own to establish how other ethnic groups within East Africa approach and treat the subject matter on women’s rights as well as obligations in totality.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF PR9402.9.K25I85)
Keywords
Women, Characters, Kaberuka Jane
Citation
Ismail, R. (2017) The portrayal of female characters in jane Kaberuka’s silent patience. Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Dar es Salaam.