The stories of Ama Ata Aidoo depicts the character of a woman as strong and independent. This is because she believed that the improvement and betterment of the lives of women would be achieved if they’re given the opportunity in all fields and aspects of life. She must not stay away from the process of nation-building. The author through her stories convinces that things which tend to inhibit and stop women are all myths constructed socially. The evidence of such depiction of feminism can be seen in the following quote, “For a man, the bride is a wet nurse, a sexual support, a general housekeeper, a cook steward and a listening-post, a general and an economic consultant, a punch ball, and a field hand. This is the typical housewife” (worldpulse.com). The author was an African woman and stood up for the rights of women. Just like Ama Ata Aidoo stood up for a social cause, there’s another author known as Leslie Marmon Silko who stood up for the rights of the Native Americans and also talked out the strength and power of women. During her time, a lot of interracial violence was there to be seen which influenced the author and made her write stories and poems related to it. Talking about the power of women, the author asserts, “since the Creator is female, there is no shame on being female; sex is not used to govern actions. No occupation was a woman’s job or a man’s job; the ablest person did the work” (Yellow Woman, 66). Both authors favored the equality of men and women in their respective cultures and eras. Aidoo said there shouldn’t be any distinction between man and a woman in the course of nation-building while Leslie said there’s no such thing as man-work or woman-work.
Works Cited
“Destroying the Female Character.” World Pulse, 21 Jan. 2015, www.worldpulse.com/fr/node/23960.
Silko, Leslie Marmon. Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit. Simon and Schuster, 2013.
