Thesis Abstract

Abstract
This research project conducts a gender analysis on the novel "Faceless" by Amma Darko. The study explores the various ways in which gender is portrayed and constructed within the novel, focusing on the experiences of women and girls in the urban slums of Accra, Ghana. Through a close reading of the text, the research examines the challenges and injustices faced by female characters in a patriarchal society, as well as the strategies they employ to navigate and resist oppressive gender norms. The analysis delves into the complex relationships between gender, power, and poverty depicted in the novel, highlighting the ways in which gender intersects with other social categories such as class and age to shape the characters' experiences and choices. It also examines the impact of cultural beliefs and practices on the lives of women and girls, shedding light on the ways in which traditional gender roles and expectations limit their agency and opportunities for self-empowerment. Furthermore, the research explores the concept of agency and resilience among female characters in "Faceless," emphasizing their efforts to assert their autonomy and challenge dominant gender norms. By examining the characters' actions and decisions, the study illuminates the ways in which women and girls resist gender-based oppression and assert their identities in the face of adversity. The research also considers the role of male characters in perpetuating or challenging gender inequality in the novel, highlighting the ways in which masculinity is constructed and performed within the context of urban poverty. By analyzing the interactions between male and female characters, the study explores the dynamics of gender relations and power within the narrative, offering insights into the complexities of gender dynamics in a patriarchal society. Overall, this gender analysis of "Faceless" contributes to a deeper understanding of the ways in which gender shapes the lives of women and girls in urban Ghana, and the strategies they employ to navigate and resist oppressive gender norms. By examining the intersections of gender with other social categories and power dynamics, the research sheds light on the complexities of gender inequality and the possibilities for gender empowerment and social change.

Thesis Overview

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Gender is the state of being a man or a woman and is generally used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological differences. Gender inequity is not based solely on gender differences, but on how people are treated differently because of their gender (Kolawole, 1998). Most of the changes in the gender system presented as “revolutionary” involve women in positions and activities formerly reserved for men, with little change in the opposite direction. The source of this asymmetry is one aspect of society’s assessment and reward system that has not changed much – the tendency to devalue and poorly reward activities and jobs traditionally held by women. Women have made great contributions in their diverse communities, covering the full range of ethnic nationalities that populate what is now Ghana (Ikoni, 2002).

Darko’s emerging voice gives a new feminist perspective to gender and class issues in contemporary African writing. It explores a recurring theme of sexual exploitation of the most vulnerable members of society. In his works of fiction (Beyond the Horizon, 1995, Housemaid, 1998, Faceless, 2003, and Not without Flowers, 2007), sexuality becomes a supreme metaphor for examining the values ​​of Ghanaian society. Faceless exceeds other works in artistic intensity and complexity. In this novel, Darko defines female sexuality in terms of a complex trope of transformation from voiceless voices to voices and movements beyond faceless to the face or the person. She urges women to make their voices heard so that their lives are sustainable. Faceless women are stigmatized, but they do courageous acts to rid themselves of the yoke of oppression in a male-dominated society.

According GodessBvukutwa, patriarchy is so rooted in most African contexts that trying to separate it from our humanity is unfathomable for the most part. Meanwhile, apologists (including women) insist on equality between the sexes is a Western notion that will never work in an African creation. Moreover, Lady Bvukutwa argued that after years of listening to the same rhetoric by many men, government officials and even some women, this genre is a borrowed word, that gender equality is A Western notion that Africans imported, and stuck in African contexts; And therefore the same gender equality will never work in an African institution. However, Cham, Mbyre (2012: 89) stated that patriarchy was defined as a system of sexual power. It is a network of social, political and economic relations through which men dominate and control female labor, reproduction and sexuality, and define the status, privileges and rights of women in a society.

It is a successful system because those who obtain this privilege are often unaware of it and consequently perpetuate involuntarily the ill treatment of people in this society whose suffering is the fulcrum on which this society turns. According to Kolawole, Mary (2011: 116), this social system has managed to survive for a long time because its main psychological weapon is its universality as well as its longevity. It is difficult for many people to imagine a time when this system did not exist. It is even harder for people to imagine a future less patriarchal. But this must change (Kolawole, 116). Given that Labeodan (2012: 76) argued that a complete revision of our mentalities when it comes to African culture must take place if there is hope for the Black Consciousness Movement in this century.