Divulging Women's Plight: A Critical Examination of Gender Exploitation and Suppression in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s this Mournable Body

Abstract

This article critically examines the portrayal of gender exploitation and suppression in Tsitsi Dangarembga's novel, This Mournable Body. Drawing on the legacy of early African female authors and the works of contemporary African female writers, the study explores the depiction of women in the novel and their experiences, challenges, and injustices. Using a postcolonial feminist approach and employing close reading as a method, the article probes the preconceptions, norms, and narratives within the novel that perpetuate gender inequality. It investigates the portrayal of female characters, their agency and representation, and the intersections of gender with other dimensions of identity. The analysis reveals how women in the novel are subjected to public abuse, including street harassment, public shaming, and victim-blaming and domestic exploitation. It also highlights the intense subjugation, discrimination, and oppression faced by women in the Zimbabwean society depicted in the novel in general. By shedding light on these issues, the research aims to contribute to the promotion of gender equality and social justice, elevate women's voices, challenge patriarchal myths, and advocate for radical transformation within and beyond the literary world. The article employs a systematic approach that combines textual analysis with a postcolonial feminist theoretical framework.