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GENDER ROLE STEREOTYPING IN AMA ATA AIDOO’S CHANGES
Abstract
This study focuses on the textual analysis of the representation of female and male characters in Changes, a love story by Ama Ata Aidoo. The story depicts male and female characters differently. The findings of this study suggest that the representation of male characters in the selected story is generally in line with the possessor attitudes and reflect women's possessed. The male characters are stereotyped to represent the patriarchal roles that reflect intelligence, triumph and strength and these forms of representation affirm the traditionally held beliefs about men as rulers and heads of families. On the contrary, this study finds that the representation of women differs greatly from that in which males are represented. Women are given feminine roles represented negatively as failures or as being capricious and disrespectful of social norms. The division of labour into gender-hyper-specific roles widens the gap of differences in the representation of female and male characters. The author hides behind Ghanaian culture is the major phenomenon that promotes patriarchy and ensures that women remain suppressed by the rule of men because text is a powerful means of sending messages and through that social actions and processes are interpreted and acted. The role represented by Esi Sekyi, one of the female characters in the story doesn’t gain the approval of her family and her friends but rather damaged the reputation of women and tarnished their image. This gender role stereotyping which foreground the oppression of women while giving opportunities to their male counterparts to dominate and exercise authority over women that this study concerns itself.
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