African Women in Society

African Women in Society

Most of the African novels portray women as inferior under the authority of men. However, in almost every case, the woman tends to fight for her rights and her way up to be noticed and make a compelling character in those novels. The novels by Ifeoma Okoye “, The power of a plate of Rice” published in 2011 (“The Power Of A Plate Of Rice By Ifeoma Okoye”)  and Chimamanda Ngozi, “A private experience” published in 2004, (“Characters In A Private Experience By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie”) are the perfect examples. “The Power of a Plate of Rice” talks of Cheta fighting for her rights in the leadership of a male counterpart. In the story of “A private experience,” here we find two women, Chika, and the Hausa woman, running from chaos and violence getting connected after sharing their experiences. The African woman is an energetic being, and she is daily proving how her courageous and fearlessness.

1. In the “The Power of a Plate of Rice,” Cheta is a fearless and courageous and she definitely is ready to do anything in his power to move from the oppressive male master. As depicted in the story, Cheta has obligations of feeding the children and her mother-in-law, but she has not been paid for the past five months (“The Power Of A Plate Of Rice By Ifeoma Okoye”) . She takes matters into her hands and goes straight to the master’s house where she forcefully dines on a plate of rice until the master agrees to pay up her dues.  In the case of Chika, she is scared and confused by the riots. She runs into hiding with a Muslim Hausa woman (“Characters In A Private Experience By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie”). The fact that she is exposed to violence makes her fear a lot, and she is she knows nothing about violence. 
2. An African woman is disrespected despite her education. Cheta is portrayed as an educated woman in the society (“The Power Of A Plate Of Rice By Ifeoma Okoye”). This can be shown from the fact that she is a secondary school teacher. Despite being educated, she is not respected by her boss. She has not been paid for a few months. This shows that women despite having an important aspect in the society, the male counterparts still do not respect the women. In the case of Chika, we are told that when was a doctor and a well-mannered, educated woman who dressed decently (“Characters In A Private Experience By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie”). Chika knows that violence does not come from a vacuum and that ethnicity and religion are always politicized in times of riots.
3. Chika is used to wealth and comfort while Cheta is a struggling woman. Chika being a medical student she does not feel comfortable about the career because she was exposed to comfort and wealth (“Characters In A Private Experience By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie”). On the other hand, Cheta is struggling to feed her family and pay rent from the peanuts her master gives her (“The Power Of A Plate Of Rice By Ifeoma Okoye”). She finds life unbearable that she confronts the employer for not paying her for a few months. 

These two characters portray how society depicts women in the presence of male masters and in times of riots. Women are unaware of how to do during times of violence, and the best thing they can afford is to go into hiding. The same women are disrespected by the male master that they even do not recognize their efforts in trying to support who are beneath them. An African woman is viewed as that being that is always inferior in the presence of the male. There is no acknowledgment of women in leadership fields. 

Work cited

“Characters In A Private Experience By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie”. Studienet.Dk,2018, https://www.studienet.dk/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/a-private-experience/analysis/characters. Accessed 26 Nov 2018.

“The Power Of A Plate Of Rice By Ifeoma Okoye”. Brown Paper, 2018,https://niranjana.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/the-power-of-a-plate-of-rice-by-ifeoma-okoye/. Accessed 26 Nov 2018.