'Siddon Look' or 'Go-Getter': Identity and Generation Gap in Contemporary Women's Writing

Abstract

This paper examines the shift in the portrayal of the image of women from traditional to contemporary times. An in-depth study of the female characters in literary texts drawn from Africa and the African Diaspora reveals that women's writings are more challenging in outlook; hence, the creation of a new identity on the literary scene. In addition, the paper gives certain reasons for the shift and shows the degree of success some contemporary writers have attained in a society that is deeply patriarchal.