Queen Bee and Her Female Subordinate in Ifeoma Okoye's “Between Women”

Abstract

A significant number of studies have proven that women in the African cultural milieu are not only the oppressed but also are the sustainers of their own oppression. Some scholars have captured the prevalent crisis between wives and their mothers in law. Not much, however, has been written on abhorring intragender relationships between some female domestic servants and their mistresses. Using the content analysis approach of qualitative research method and the theory of Focu feminism, the chapter, therefore, studies Ifeoma Okoye's “Between Women” to highlight the daily routine activities of the domestic servant, her working hours, feeding pattern, and remuneration. These may provide insights into the type of relationships that exist between the mistress and her domestic servant. The study reveals that a desired gender justice has not been achieved. The mistress has not used her good offices to foster a fellow woman. It recommends a more harmonious intragender co-existence amongst women.