Representation of Women and Sexuality in Buchi Emecheta’s The Slave Girl and J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace: A Study

Abstract

Women have typically had less legal privileges and career opportunities throughout history than men. The most important occupations for women historically have been those of wife and mother, and they have long been seen as being inherently weaker than men. Their existence and rights are assumed by patriarchal society. Women often view silence as a virtue, but with education, the silence is broken.

Many cultural traditions in Africa discriminate women. Husbands frequently beat their wives and place the blame for infertility squarely on their shoulders. Even if it is not proven that they are to blame for the marital issues, they still endure those sufferings. Because culture encourages men to marry multiple women, married women are susceptible to being replaced at any time by their husbands.

Female characters in African literature typically experience discrimination as an afterthought to male protagonists. Therefore, the purpose of this research paper is to examine how women were treated in the chosen text – Buchi Emecheta’s “The Slave Girl” and J.M. Coetzee’s “Disgrace”.