A Feminist Reading of Contemporary Ethiopian Novel in English: Gebeyehu Ayele’s Escape (2011) in Focus
Abstract
The main aim of this research is to analyze representation of women in contemporary Ethiopian novels written in English focusing on Gebeyehu Ayele’s novel Escape (2011). The analysis was made based on socialist feminism approach to literature. The analysis of the study shows that the novel depicted women in two ways. In one way women characters such as Mulu’s mother are revealed as submitting themselves to patriarchal subjugation because of their economic dependency on their husbands and considering themselves as God created them to be weaker than men. In the second way, the major character of the novel named Mulu is portrayed as strong and devoted to change the patriarchal culture of the society that denies right and freedom for women because of the education access she has got unlike her mother. Mulu, both ideally and practically opposes the patriarchal custom of the society. Moreover, young male characters such as Dres and Dagne also support the freedom of women.
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