| This dissertation examines ways in which selected Zimbabwean and Kenyan postcolonial
African novels and memoirs from the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries expand
understandings of militant motherhood and its connection to diverse gender performances. The
analysis focuses on Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous Conditions (1988) and This Mournable Body
(2020), Ngugi wa Thiong'o's Petals of Blood (1977) and Wizard of the Crow (2006), NoViolet
Bulawayo's Glory (2022), and Wangari Maathai's memoir Unbowed (2006). These works
collectively examine women's experiences across colonial and postcolonial eras, revealing their
struggles within the private domestic sphere and against public state power.
Militant motherhood in this study is defined as the resolute activism of mothers who
fight for the rights and welfare of their children and communities, often using nonviolent
methods like community organizing, education, and advocacy. This framework is grounded in
existing postcolonial studies and insights from political and social studies. The study argues that
the women depicted, including those in Maathai’s memoir and the selected novels, challenge
traditional gender roles by becoming active agents of change. Female characters from Glory,
Unbowed, Petals of Blood, and Wizard of the Crow actively confront corruption and patriarchal
suppression and advocate for a more just society, showcasing the transformative potential of
female leadership. These women resist oppression through various forms of activism, such as
bodily protests, lobbying, and organizing, and by raising awareness of their plight as mothers.
Their struggles are deeply connected to the political and social issues of their time, highlighting
the complex ways gender, power, and society intertwine.
By focusing on the women’s diverse rhetorical strategies, this research demonstrates
how women empower themselves and the importance of their leadership in postcolonial
societies. It also considers how race, class, and economic background shape their experiences
and activism. The women’s actions are not merely about breaking free from traditional roles;
they are about fighting for collective justice and equality. This research goes beyond literary
analysis to illuminate contemporary African feminist movements and emphasize women’s
multifaceted contributions to political and social change.
Keywords: Militant Motherhood, Postcolonial African Novels, Gender Performance, Women's
Agency, Female Leadership, African Feminism. |