Daughters of Anowa: African Women and Patriarchy
by Part One
In Daughters
of Anowa, Mercy Oduyoye says “Myths and folktales shaped and continue to
shape social relations, even under modern political systems” (19). Oduyoye
names these important works “religio-cultural corpus” and claims not only does
it provide the social history and collective memory of Africa, it also serves
as a source of authority for decision making to this day (20). Oduyoye reviews
different origin myths throughout African cultures, lifting up the role of the
feminine and female in the stories. She also contrasts these stories with
stories of the feats of male human being glorified and praised. She traces
threads of assumptions about women’s power and sees that often the power of
life-giving, life-affirming is reinforced and valued, where as any power used
to destroy life is judged as evil (29). While this ideal sounds pretty, it
reinforces not just the submission of women to male power, it condemns women
who resist being sacrificed or taken advantage of. She concludes the chapter
stressing the value of these stories, but also the value of asking who benefits
from the moral conclusion of the story as well.
“We
cannot overestimate the power of folktales as vehicles for the transmission of
norms” (37). From there, Oduyoye reflects on the language used to describe
women within folktales. Reading these folktales reminded me of reflections I
had about Disney princesses and gender roles. I wrote a blog reflecting upon
viewing of the 2012 Hollywood movie “Snow White and the Huntsman” (http://jadedmystic42.blogspot.com/2012/11/choice-c-neither-evil-queen-or-innocent.html ). It was advertised as portraying a
more independent and liberated Snow White and more complicated villain in the
Queen. However, as I said in my blog “The most basic theme to draw from this
movie is that the only power females have are purity and beauty. And the
ultimate power is to have both. Purity and beauty is the inspiration for men to
war, for people to unite, and the only way hope transcends despair….However,
the impure Queen has an insatiable appetite for strength over men and being in
control, while Snow White is the epitome
of purity suffering through darkness and wins the hearts of men through
selfless acts of sacrifice and goodness… Snow White's more acceptable journey
into queendom is through maintaining her innocence despite temptations and
exposure to reality. She woos men of all kinds with her innocence and beauty,
the power she holds with these traits
conquers the evil of an empowered decisive woman destroying the kingdom.”
I see similar themes within the work
Oduyoye does reflecting on African folktales. There is power within the way
women are portrayed within these stories. We hear them from the time we are
born and it influences us. As I wrote in my blog, as a young girl, even though
I was told I could “save” myself, I was told it was not only easier to be saved
by Prince Charming, it also affirmed my value as a human being to be rescued by
a man. What does this do to the minds of little girls and boys to be imprinted
with these values and how can we resist and challenge it? Consumerism and
capitalism in the Global North and colonial infiltration everywhere sells sex,
but to little boys and girls, it is about acceptance… which means as we age
acceptance translates into sexual identity. It is a long and twisted journey.
In African
Women, Letty Russell tells a story of who Mercy Oduyoye is through images
of their time together as well as through images within scripture. So many rich
and descriptive statements about Oduyoye, but by far, my favorite is “Into the
cracks of colonial theology she has poured creative understandings of the
church and mission, and become the mother of African women’s theology (46).
Russell goes on to claim “They reach out to a compassionate God and work to
transform Africa ‘from a hostile space into a nurturing womb and cradle
provided by God’” (55). I see Oduyoye challenging the perspectives of woman’s
values only relevant to her role as mother to a son, questioning the assumption
of devaluation of women who bear no children. This is important to me
personally and academically. In reflecting on how shame and judgment are used
to limit and oppress women’s influence on community, how can we, as critically
conscious citizens, respond? Where does the metaphor/image of woman empowered as
a mother figure fit into the mindset of women who choose to not have children,
but most importantly women who are infertile. To desire children but to be
unable to, raises significant questions of worth and value within the minds of
women raised to believe motherhood is a primary role of women. As a pastoral
care scholar and chaplain, these questions affect the type of care I teach and
give.
No comments:
Post a Comment