TRADITION AND CHANGE IN ZULUS SOFOLA S WEDLOCK OF THE GODS AND TESS ONWUEME S THE BROKEN CALABASH
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The perception of women has been that of weakened relevance and subordination tied to the miscellaneous oppressions they face in a world referred to as “a man’s world”. Women have been seen as having diminished importance and subordination as a result of the many oppressions they suffer in a society referred to as “a man’s world.” In general, the world considers women to be the weaker sex in a variety of situations, including mental and physical infirmities. In the face of such hurdles, some women have achieved huge progress in differentiating themselves from other women, leaving significant imprints that will be remembered for the rest of their lives.
Women have governed kingdoms and conducted conquering battles in certain African tribes. Berber queens such as the Kahina of the Maghreb (17th century), Magajiyas of Duara (9th century), Queen Amina of Zazzau (16th century), Nzinga of Angola (19th century), and Nehanda of Zimbabwe are examples of such well-documented ladies (19th century). Feminist scholars have contended, and continue to argue, that Western feminism was heavily influenced by Africa.
Women in Africa have been subjected to harsh circumstances such as planting and harvesting crops on farmlands when pregnant, as well as carrying water and logs of wood while nursing with children strapped to their backs with little or no assistance from their husbands or guardians. Women, in general, have faced severe shame and persecution in their families and outside. Education had been the male kid’s inheritance, with the female child growing into adulthood with the perception of being the weaker sex not just in physical strength but also in the mentality.
In many communities, particularly in Africa, men’s recognition of women’s input and contributions to the progress of the economy, family, and country as a whole remains a pipe dream. Nigeria is nearing its 54th year of independence, and numerous theatrical practitioners and dramatists have emerged to help build the country’s theatre. Zulu Sofola, the first female professor of theatrical arts in Africa; Julie Okoh, a professor; and Tess Onwueme (PhD), whom Dr. Sonja Darlington describes as the first African female dramatist to break into the literary ranks of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Ngugi wa Thiongo. The growth of Nigerian theatre is not “man-made,” but rather the result of the involvement and contribution of women, who have greatly aided in the construction of Nigerian theatre to the caliber it is now.
Women have had a significant effect on many elements and positions in the theatre, including playwriting, directing, acting, singing, management, and choreography. They have also authored a number of plays. According to a common saying, what men can do, women can do better. But, in today’s world, is this argument still valid? There have been several instances when women have been denied equal opportunity in terms of exposure, training, practice, and acknowledgment. Women, on the other hand, who have shown appropriate devotion and enthusiasm in education and craft
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
The Nigerian stage has been dominated by males, and their image of women in their works has been terrible in society, presenting them as housewives, meek, unexposed, unreasonable, and sometimes even as witches. Negative stereotypes of women have persisted in an increasing number of Nigerian plays written by males.
As a result, there is a tacit accord in the works of these pioneer male dramatists about society’s view of women. This is related to the historical claim that women have always been portrayed as weak and inferior to males. They were socialized to be housewives and farmers (Ityaveryer and Obiajunwa). Zulu Sofola emerged at a period when most famous Nigerian male dramatists were at the helm of the arts. Her first album, The Disturbed Peace of Christmas, was released in 1991.
Despite the fact that Sofola was a woman, her participation in the intellectual competition had little effect on the image of women in literary play. It merely served to reinforce men’s superiority and domination over women. Sofola’s plays also provided dominance to men’s image in society. Throughout her plays, there is a constant clash between old and modern culture, but in philosophy, the old generally prevails. Sofola is a conservative because her plays overpower and captivate the holiness of traditions, and she never hesitates to bring down any of her characters who try to defy it. Tradition’s inviolability, she believes, must be preserved and cherished at all costs, despite its inert and unprogressive character.
As a result, any effort by women to break away from this customary holiness is met with a brutal response in several of her plays. Ogwoma is chastised in Wedlock of the Gods for failing to observe the traditional time of mourning for her deceased spouse, despite the fact that it was a loveless relationship committed by coercion. Finally, Tess Onwueme’s remarkable foundation is strongly supported and elevated by the ladies addressed in this phase: the current time. In terms of periodization, this phase may be dated back to the mid-1980s and continues to the present.
At the time, the oil boom and political acrobatics had put Nigeria in jeopardy, with the nation’s economy suffering as a result of high-level corruption. Although women continued to write about women’s liberation, they also addressed economic, social, and political challenges of the day.
1.3 STUDY PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES
The primary goal of this study is to look at tradition and change in Zulus Sofola’s Wedlock of the Gods and Tess Onwueme’s The Broken Calabash. The study’s precise goals are as follows: 1. to identify the sort of tradition and change in Zulus Sofola’s Wedlock of the Gods and Tess Onwueme’s The Broken Calabash
2. to discover the reasons of change in custom as shown in Zulus Sofola’s Wedlock of the Gods and Tess Onwueme’s The Broken Calabash
3. to look at the variables that influence tradition and change in Zulus Sofola’s Wedlock of the Gods and Tess Onwueme’s The Broken Calabash.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions influence the study’s objectives:
1. What kind of tradition and change can be found in Zulus Sofola’s Wedlock of the Gods and Tess Onwueme’s The Broken Calabash?
2. What are the reasons of tradition’s shift as shown in Zulus Sofola’s Wedlock of the Gods and Tess Onwueme’s The Broken Calabash?
3. What influences tradition and change in Zulus Sofola’s Wedlock of the Gods and Tess Onwueme’s The Broken Calabash?
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