A GENDER ANALYSIS ON NOVEL FACELESS BY AMMA DARKO
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A GENDER ANALYSIS ON NOVEL FACELESS BY AMMA DARKO
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
Gender is the state of being a man or a woman, and it is typically used to refer to social and cultural distinctions rather than biological differences. Gender inequity is defined not only by gender inequalities, but also by how people are treated differently based on their gender (Kolawole, 1998).
The majority of “revolutionary” changes in the gender system place women in positions and activities that were previously reserved for men, with minimal shift in the reverse direction.
This inequality stems from one feature of society’s appraisal and reward system that has remained mostly unchanged: the inclination to devalue and undervalue activities and jobs typically held by women.
Women have made significant contributions in their different communities, representing the entire variety of ethnic nations that inhabit what is now Ghana (Ikoni, 2002).
Darko’s rising voice offers a fresh feminist viewpoint on gender and class concerns in modern African literature. It delves into a recurring theme: sexual exploitation of the most vulnerable people of society.
In his works of fiction (Beyond the Horizon, 1995; Housemaid, 1998; Faceless, 2003; and Not without Flowers, 2007), sexuality serves as a powerful metaphor for exploring Ghanaian society’s ideals. Faceless stands out for its artistic intensity and depth.
Darko defines female sexuality in this story as a complicated motif of change from voiceless voices to voices, as well as movements from faceless to face or person.
She encourages women to speak up so that their lives are sustainable. Faceless women are stigmatised, but they take courageous steps to free themselves from the yoke of oppression in a male-dominated world.
According to Godess Bvukutwa, patriarchy is so deeply ingrained in most African situations that it is nearly impossible to divorce it from our humanity. Meanwhile, apologists (including women) insist on gender equality, which is a Western concept that would never function in an African creation.
Furthermore, Lady Bvukutwa contended that after years of hearing the same rhetoric from many men, government officials, and even some women, this genre is a borrowed word, that gender equality is a Western concept that Africans imported and stuck in African contexts, and that the same gender equality will never work in an African institution.
However, Cham and Mbyre (2012:89) described patriarchy as a system of sexual power. It is a network of social, political, and economic interactions in which men govern and regulate female labour, reproduction, and sexuality while also defining women’s status, advantages, and rights in society.
It is a successful system because individuals who receive this privilege are frequently unaware of it and thus unintentionally perpetuate the mistreatment of people in this society, whose pain serves as the fulcrum around which this society revolves.
According to Kolawole, Mary (2011:116), this social system has survived for a long time because its major psychological weapon is both universality and endurance. Many people find it difficult to imagine life before this system.
People struggle much more to foresee a less patriarchal future. But this needs to change (Kolawole, 116). Given that Labeodan (2012: 76) suggested that if the Black Consciousness Movement is to succeed in this century, we must completely revise our attitudes towards African culture.
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