Abstract:

Since the beginning of the creation, women struggle to find themselves in society. They release their voices in the face of patriarchal systems, oppression, and gender discrimination. Women's empowerment leads to more modern, equal, and well-governed societies. In both selected novels, “Nervous Conditions” by Tsitsi Dangarembga and “God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy, women face a critical situation only because of their race and gender. In “Nervous Conditions,” the writer depicts the dilemma of African women under the impact of patriarchal society and family traditions as well as the colonialism represented by the British authorities in the state of Zimbabwe. While in “God of Small Things,” women also face different kinds of abuse by family and the patriarchal society. They are oppressed by their fathers, brothers, and patriarchal society. The concept of hybridity will be presented in both novels comparatively. Furthermore, I will present a full description of the norms that direct the behavior of the majority; the family, the patriarchal society, the postcolonial system as a whole, and how the traditions and beliefs direct the impact of all on women. In this paper, I analyze selected concepts that related to feminism under the umbrella of postcolonialism theory. I show how women in postcolonial society fight their battles in different fields of life against patriarchal systems, systematic oppression, and even their own families. How they take the lead and find a way to move on under the most difficult circumstances.

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