The Constructive, Reformative and Revolutionary Image of the African Woman in Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s <i>The Trial of Dedan Kimathi</i> and Femi Osofisan’s <i>Morountodun</i>

Abstract

Many African playwrights present women as hapless victims in the hands of men which is believed to be the true image of women given the patriarchal nature of the African Society. These women are portrayed as underdogs, prostitutes and witches without progressive or adventurous attributes. Incidentally, the reverse is the case in the works written by men, used in this study. These men portray women as active participants in the socio-political and economic development of their societies. They present women who are determined to transform their societies positively as they participate in revolutionary struggle. This paper examines the role of women in revolutionary struggles and concludes that it is possible to exalt women from the observatory pedestal to a participatory pedestal in all spheres of human endeavour and that they will excel. It recommends the need to revisit and deconstruct the African tradition and culture that inhibit women’s social mobility.