CHAPTER 5: ANALYSIS OF SELECTED TEXTS
5.4 Synopsis of the drama, Ababulali Benyathi (Mngadi, 2008)
5.4.2 Gender Stereotypes
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Mbandlwa and Duma, she is shocked by her husband’s behaviour, who goes into frenzy and says:
Mfazi ndini thula! Ngithi thula Mfazindini! (p57) (Shut up silly woman! I say shut up silly woman!)
When this reality becomes a reality to MaShezi, she reacts by returning to her home in KwaMashu. This kind of indifference seems common in male-dominated societies.
In Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, for example, Okonkwo uses a similar kind of reprimand to his first wife where he instructs her to do as she is told. He further asks her when did she become one of the ndichie of Umofia?” (Stratton, 1994:26). This confirms the assertion by Robbins (2000: 22) that “…freedoms take place within limits; for those with power limits are widely drawn”.
Both women in the play explored are heroines; the chief acknowledges that in the end where, in his letter to the community, he admits that they have been instrumental in the reconciliation of the two factions. Sadly, at that point in time both assistants of the rivalries, Mbandlwa and Dlamini are dead. One would have expected the chief to delegate powers of addressing the community to one of the two women behind the newly found peace but the author denies them that platform to address the public because they are women. Instead that task is given to another male, Mazongolo. What unfolds in this drama confirms that, in spite of the most democratic constitution in South Africa that promotes gender equality, men still regard women as inferior beings that cannot address the nation. This could be a result of the unconscious inspirations of the text itself- whereby an author such as Mngadi (2008)- concentrates on the textuality of the text rather than on a purely thematic account of its workings (Robbins, 2000:112).
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stereotypically perceived as gold-diggers, rebellious, dishonest, and immoral. The community that initially inhabited this township was moved from the notorious Cato Manor because of the Group Areas Act of 1950. According to this Act, each racial group was expected to live in its own residential area. KwaMashu, then became a residential area for Black people only. As a semi–urban area, KwaMashu has a long history of brutality, corruption and other social ills. The author uses KwaMashu to project the stereotypical perception that women from KwaMashu are evil. In one of the conversations between Duma and his wife he shares with her the stereotype that views her as isikheliyane (a prostitute) simply because of her place of birth, KwaMashu. These are his words:
Angithi nawe bakubiza ngesikheliyane saKwaMashu? (p55).
Isn’t you are also called a prostitute from KwaMashu?
Calling someone’s wife a prostitute is a very serious offence among the Zulu people.
It is an insult that could easily lead to court cases and even bloodshed. The author projects the stereotype through the community gossip. What is worth noting is the reaction of Duma to this circulating gossip. He is not angered by it and seems neither surprised nor bothered by it.
Ngcangca observes that “marriage elevates the status of both men and women in patriarchal societies, especially in the Zulu community. It bestows upon them new rights and a measure of respect” (1987:5). Hence Mbandlwa is ridiculed and given the name ‘impohlo’, which is a name given to a man who is long overdue in getting married. Impohlo is not a derogatory name. Again, the bias towards men becomes glaring when one compares the ‘names’ that are given to the two characters via the community gossip. A woman is said to be isikheliyana whereas a man is given a name impohlo.
The negativity and stereotypes surrounding women from urban areas are further revealed in MaNgema’s conversation with her husband, Shandu when she says:
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...UMaShezi bengimthatha njengomuntu wesimame ofana nabaningi besimame baselokishini, abangazi nanyaka ngokuhlonishwa kwamakhosi (p50).
(...In my mind MaShezi was like any other woman from the township, who have no respect whatsoever for traditional leadership).
Prostitution remains a big issue in male-authored novels and drama. The tendency is to give this label to women who are promiscuous but not used when men cheat on their wives. Machaba (2011:38) asserts that such double standards have also been observed in Zimbabwean literature (Gaidzanwa, 1985) where the expectation of fidelity from sons and husbands is taxing on women in a way that it is not for men, since men are not penalized for adultery while women are. This is and has been an observation and concern of many other feminist literary critics. Urban women are often perceived to be materialistic hence they are often referred to as gold-diggers.
This stereotype was discussed in the chapter on literature review where Molefe’s (1988) Isitolo Esasingasebhange was examined. Again, in Ababulali benyathi Mngadi (2008) subtly assigns this stereotype to MaShezi when he puts these words in her mouth:
Ha! Ha! Ubani ongayeka ukujabula esesimweni esifana nesami? Uthi wubala baba uqala ukuhola le mali osuyihola? Angithi ngikhuluma nje usuyakhulekelwa wena(p13).
(Ha! Ha! Who would not be happy to find themselves in a position like mine where my husband earns the kind of money you are paid. As we speak, people have started to worship you).
Machaba (2011) observes that Masuku’s (1997) findings in her study of Images of women in some Zulu literary works: A feminist critique were that,
Zulu authors make use of various stereotypes in their depiction of female characters.
Furthermore, female authors maintain a similar standpoint on the portrayal of images of women characters as their male counterparts, namely that of a woman as a witch, a femme-fatale, a Delilah, a submissive and naïve being and also as a materialistic being (Machaba, 2011:15).
Gumede (2002:58) asserts that “social change entails a point of departure and one of arrival. By this assertion he means departure from the traditional position of oppression and stereotyping, and arrival at a situation of mutual respect and
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equality”. Women are at the vanguard of change because they are in a situation that urgently demands change, especially with regard to their rights, their role in society, and the position of their children. Men will place obstacles in the way of change because they have the most to lose. Therefore, it is incumbent upon female writers themselves to start writing novels and drama that project the positive strengths of women.
5.4.3 Portrayal of women images