FEMINISTIC VIEW             

Feminism is the set of beliefs and ideas that belong to the broad social and political movement to   achieve greater quality for woman . Woman seek equality in all spheres of life and use a broad array of strategies to achieve that goal . It is based on social, political and economical equality for women.

     Post Colonial Literature have also seen differant types  of inequalities faced by women .In Girish Karnad Hayavadana a character named Padmini is questioned her feminine characteristic by others.Like, Many commentators have noted the ambivalent representations of women in The Strong Breed.Certainly, the play Strong Breed,emphasises the masculinity and the rejection of womanish behaviour as a member of society .

     Feminist literature, as the name suggests, is based on the principles of feminism, and refers to any literary work that centers on the struggle of a woman for equality, and to be accepted as a human being, before being cast into a gender stereotype. I have taken  four works of different eminent   person and  analysed  it on feminist point of view

A  DOLL`S HOUSE

             It is a three-act play in prose  by the Norwegian playwright  Henrik Ibsen. In this play, Ibsen makes many hints about the roles of society and how the female gender was treated at the time. From this play we  can observe what Ibsen believed about the roles of society, equality between males and females, and the idea of feminism. "A Doll's House" is actually a play where one can see how things were at the time and what Ibsen himself believed about the central issues. Ibsen portrayed the roles of society very well in this play.

     

      In the beginning of the play, Nora acted like most women of the time: she succumbed to anything her husband said and obeyed all orders directed to her by her husband .Later in the play, Nora transforms into how Ibsen and his wife, believe women should act and be portrayed as. She realizes that all her life, she has been simply acting as a decoration for the Hemler household and even compares herself to a doll, who gets played with, first by her father and then by Torvald, and she claims that that is the reason she had not achieved anything during her lifetime . ." By the end of the play, she has become a tougher, more independent woman. The play ends with her leaving and the door slamming behind her.

       

        In this play, Ibsen also shares what he believes about the equality between men and women of the time. In the beginning of the play he, again, portrayed what most households were like at the time: the man controlled everything, including the female. At the time, wives were simply chattel and were nothing more than property. Because of this, most women were not educated and were as naïve and innocent as children.

 PROFESSIONS  FOR WOMEN

         

        Virgina woolf was a major exponent of modernisam in english novels and she is acknowledged as a great Feminist critic.`Profession for Woman`  was a paper presented by Woolf to the Woman Service League,in which she writes about how she happened to a writer .

        

         Convetionally a woman is identified as who pleases the male members of the family with her charm,unselfishness and self sacrifies.As a woman is given only a limited role in the main stream of  life it is not so easy for her come out as a professional.But the author finds that there are very fiew obstacles on their path to become a writer.Woman have succeeded as a writers before they have succeeded in other professions,because writing  is  a reputable and harm less occupation which makes no demand on the family purse .The writer needs only paper and pen which are easily affordable for a woman.It does not break the family peace also.

           Virgina Woolf was well  known as a feminist critic.In a patriarchial society woman are subordinated to men. In such a condition Woolf  considers writing as a medium or space for woman to express their views,ideals and thoughts .

  MY STORY

       My Story is the  best -selling autobiography of a woman , Kamala Das ,  in India .As it name indicate, it is self explanatory book faced several controversies. The book was written with a clear vision about her relationships and the various aspects of traditional society. My Story shocked the mainstream Kerala with its candid accounts of her encounters with men. This book begins with child hood experiences in Calcutta with her modern family and it moves through her school experiences, early and disastrous marriage, her sexual awakening, birth of her three sons, and finally, about her  problems while writing as a woman.

          

            She briefly gives us a picture of the racist treatments as she and her brother had to endure in the British School, which openly preferred whites and regards Indians as blaks. Kamala`s only expectation from her husband is conversation, companionship and warmth. She wants him to treat her as her father treats her. But all she gets in her marriage is brutality and rudeness. She suffers through her husband`s selfishness and neglect of her emotional and physical needs.

         

             Generally, in autobiographies that are written by women, the central theme is the relationship between the author and her mother. However, Kamala Das does not prefer to talk about her relation with her mother. It seems that she does this intentionally. Das focuses on Third- world women`s oppression and she puts her relations with men to the centre of her story.

MONALISA

    

        Mona Lisa is a painting in oil  of an Italian artist Lionardo da Vinchi. The painting is a half-length picture of a seated woman .The ambiguity of  her facial expression brings several  feministic discussion in the world of  photography .There has been much speculation regarding the painting`s model and language.

         Mona Lisa was not well known until the mid-19th century when artists of the emerging symbolist movement began to appreciate it, and associated it with their ideas about feminine mystique .most discussions are based on  what Monalisa may be thinking ? ,  What does she make you think about? . Museum in which Monalisa portrait dominated by paintings of men as gods ,royalty and religious figures-It is the only painting of a woman who attracts all the attention

 

         I'm a little superficial when it comes to art appreciation, but Mona Lisa has always represented ultimate femininity.  Men and women alike are attracted to her because her beauty transcends time & all preconceived notions of female perfection.  She's mysterious  and  inviting , modest and  confident, and painfully beautiful  as like  goddess.

THE STRONG BREED

The Strong Breed

             The Strong  Breed ,a play was based on the Yourba festival of the new year and the ritual of the sacrificing a `carrier` of the previous year`s evil.soyinka used in his plays traditional African forms of expression.The play refer to the folk tradition by which one person becomes the carrier of community evil and symbolically purifies the village in an annual ritual. Soyinka critically analyse of Nigerian culture through this play.

               All dramatic action revolves around  Eman`s decision .Through a series of flash backs , the play becomes complex structure. The title of the play `The Strong Breed` itself indicating symbolically bearing the evil of his village.Eman decides to take on the role of sacrifical victim,substituting himself for the idiot boy,Ifrada.

      Omae is the traditional and faithful wife who gives her life bearing Eman`s child. sunma is the only character in this play who fight against the traditional carrier rituals.Sunma presented as selfish at  the beginning of this play,at the same time  she is willing to challenge her father`s view.she questioned the need of socities to sacrifies ones.

      Eman had left his village for twelve years in search of a new destiny but had to go back because he believes his father`s   words  ; they were born to be carriers and he could not flee from his destiny. Though he is a well educated man, he could not break such meaningless   traditions .Suma, not a well educated   girl, despises her village as she feels that it is quite evil , she does not agree with its cultural practices  . But she lacks the moral strength of Eman therefore doesn`t bring much change to the village . so she couldn`t understand why Eman does not want to leave the village.

            Villagers considered spiritual health is important than human  life. contradiction   between will and destiny leads to the tragedy   .Most of the Greek drama`s ends with such type of tragedy .At some extent we feel that , Wole Soyinka follows the Greek style of writing.

     Wole Soyinka was brought up as a  christian . We can identify some Christian images in this play .The death of Eman  , has some resemblance with the crucifixion of Christ. According to the New Testament of Bible ,  Christ was sacrificed his life for saving humanity .Like Christ, Eman in this play sacrificed his life in order to save the village . Finally Eman , like Christ ,dies due to the faults of others.

        The play is marked with flashbacks between Eman`s past and present where he sees images of his father and his dead wife Omae.The  Strong Breed was much more emotional than traditional play.

The Hungry Earth

                                                                 ( My commonts on `The Hungry Earth`)

            ‘Hungry Earth’ is  a multifaceted play. For that  reason it is not determine precisely what it is and how to approach it. All black South Africans had been personally affected discriminatory practice of the apartheid system. Maponya’s play shows the hallmarks of the black consciousness movement in a number of ways. The hungry earth under went numerous metamorphoses before being presented in the form in which it would eventually be published in 1980.

            Hungry Earth emphasis on a non naturalistic performance style. This play mainly focuses on social, economic, cultural effects of South Africans labour system in 1970’s . Black people were given cheap labour power for various industries . The Hungry Earth explores several issues  using episodic structure. Episodic structure is very useful to present the problem faced by black people. They faces several  problem in mines, Train, Plantation etc., The play justify the industrial exploitation. Prologue itself gave  some picture about the society existed in 1970’s. Gumboot dance was used to express black man’s feelings to others, they were not allowed to speak to one another.     

            Racial discrimination is the main theme in this play. Ordinary black south African people were faced  several problem in their  work place. They were tortured by white people. The play ‘Hungry Earth’ moves  through six episode. Ie, the hostal, the plantation , the train, the mine and two episode of compound.

            Four characters place a prominent role  in this play. Their dialogues represents colonial, exploitation, nationalism in Africa and anti- colonial struggle. Most powerful  lines in this  play is ;

                  Mother Afrika wake up

                  And arm yourself

                  Wipe the tears of your brave

                  Mother Afrika wake up

                   Lest umlungu rapes you

                   Lest umlungu rapes you

                        These lines represents black people thirst to become liberate their country in the hands of white. In the  second  episode, the plantation, 13 years old children were working in a plantation. A visitor came and asked the details of time of their work ( 5am to 3pm)  and the wages they got ( 50c). Through the questioning of a visitor we  got an idea about exploitation in labour. Actually visitor is writer  in this play, his main  intention is to explore the pathetic condition of black people existed in South Africa.

            In the third episode , the train, black people were arrested for petty cases. White  man were spectatory and black are only victims. Sethotho a character in the play, commented the situation existed in his country while he was talking to Beshwane

            Sethotho : “Hey , my father lived in the city of Gold and he told me there are so many crimes  against the law of the white man  of which  black people might unwittingly be guilty”

            At the end of this episode Usiviko described the incident happended in Train. “Most of black people were requested to produce passes and permits. Those who failed to produce  spent two weeks in jail and were deported to their respective homes on their release. This is the in human and unjust procedure to endorse the unjust laws that make another a stranger in the land of his birth and rob him of his freedom to move wherever he wants. Is freedom not the law of nature? Then what?”

            No blackmen lived in South Africa can say the answer of this question.

            Fourth episode, the mine , lot of  black men died in mine at Carleton ville. The title of this play came from the words of Matchoko in fourth scene.

                   “I looked back into the tunnel

                    Where my brothers were being

                    Eaten by this hungry earth”

                        This play focuses the non – violence movement against the white people dominance. Usviko’s words proves this.

            “We are not violent people. And this is a peaceful demonstration. Come everybody..”

            Five and six episode described the Gumboot dance of black people. Tourist were coming to see  Gumboot dance. All were wanted to see and enjoy Gumboot dance. They were not anxious  about the sufferings of black people. At  the end of this play  a women, named  Chirago appeared and explored her sufferings.

            The Hungry Earth used  Zulu in some of its  songs and dialogue as an affirmation  of black south African’s  cultural heritage. This tactic must have  had a powerful  resonance at a time when the country’s  two official languages were English and Africans, and zulu was banned in educational contexts. As a part  of culture  the play  also incorporates  a ‘traditional Gumboot dance’,  it was the only way of communication between  black workers who were not allowed  to speak to one another.