Gendered Female Characters in Ahmed Yerima’s Tuti and Yemoja
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Date
2024
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Ecohumanism
Abstract
Gender roles and their representation in literature have long been subjects of critical examination, particularly in the context of African
societies where cultural norms deeply influence societal structures and individual identities. In African drama, the depiction of male and
female characters often mirrors traditional gender expectations, which can reinforce existing stereotypes and perpetuate gender
inequalities. This study aims to analyze the portrayal of female characters in Yerima's Tuti and Yemoja, focusing on the ways these
characters reflect and resist traditional gender norms. By employing a modified psychoanalytical framework by Barbieri, the research
seeks to uncover the underlying biases and cultural assumptions that shape these portrayals. Our findings reveal that in a bias society
like Africa, women’s beauty and education are threat and also seen as been proud. This study also reveals that a woman’s kindness
and motherly nature is used against him and term weakness as portrayed by Yerima, where Titubi’s complementary role is challenged
as taking up the responsibilities of her husband while Yemoja’s kindhearted is portrayed as been seduction by Esu and her husband
Ogun. The study not only contributes to the academic discourse on gender and literature but also advocates for more equitable and
diverse representations of gender in African drama.
Keywords: Gender, psychoanalysis, Ahmed Yerima, Electra complex, Trauma.