Le mariage et la dot dans les œuvres de Buchi Emecheta et de Calixthe Beyala

Abstract

The realist context that inspired the works of the two novelists is the basis for the study of the female characters that they created in their works. The two authors belong to different cultures and linguistic traditions: Buchi Emecheta, an Anglophone from Nigeria and Calixthe Beyala, a Francophone from the Cameroun. Though it is a popular opinion that Africans share similar cultures, this article aims at concretising this opinion by highlighting the convergent and divergent points in the perspectives of the two authors. The characters have been studied in the patriarchal setting that determined their reactions and psychological dispositions. This article lays emphasis on some patriarchal constraints that alienate and relegate the woman to the second place thereby stifling her existence. It discusses the practices of marriage and bride price that control the body and sexuality of the woman. The authors enlist the readers in a narration of real events with which they can identify.