Eileen Omosa
Have you ever read a thrilling novel, liked the story but paused to wonder why the characters are much different from the people you’ve met in real life? On second thought, fiction is fiction, not about the people we know. Okay?
The next day it dawns on you that story ideas are more of an amalgamation of life experiences. But whose life, the writer’s or the characters in the books?
Though novels are just that, fiction, people read them for a variety of reasons: for entertainment, or to learn lessons from the lies the main characters start with to the truth at the end of their journey. So by reading novels, we have a chance to reflect about ourselves and society in general - which brings me to the issue of how men and women are portrayed in novels. What images do authors want to create in the mind of a reader?
To start us off, how are women in general, and African women in particular portrayed in the novels you’ve read?
I was a reader before I became a writer. Over the years I have noticed a trend, that men and women are given different attributes in novels. Thus, with every novel I have read, a myriad of questions have lingered in my mind. I have often wondered on the origin of the differences in characteristics given to male and female characters in novels. In relation to the African girl and woman, what came first; the practice within society, or the one in books?
What are your views on the following questions:
• Is the role of an African girl set long before she is born, or is she free to choose the life she desires?
• What role do African women and men play in shaping existing narratives on gender relations?
• Does education open more opportunities or conflicts for African women?
To learn more about the questions above, listen to African Women in Novels, a podcast that will get you reflective on issues of culture and society.
How did I get into this topic?
I am a Sociologist who writes on change and adaptation. In the past I’ve worked in the natural resources management sector in Africa where I facilitated projects on forestry and food security, conflict management, gender in household decision-making, land tenure and access rights for sustainable livelihoods, among other topics. In Canada, I have worked as a researcher focusing on household food security, and ethnicity and health.
Since 2016, I have published novels in the genres of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. I use fictional characters to share insights on the journeys of African girls into becoming career women—what does it take for one to balance demands for their career growth while they satisfy cultural expectations as female members of society?
Through the novels, I get into themes of social change, a quest for equity, social justice, family life, gender relations, girl and women's education, agency and empowerment.
To start us off, what books have you read which got you reflective on how men and women are portrayed in novels?
We continued to discuss issues of culture and society in different forums. If you would like to receive the latest information into your inbox? Click here to subscribe.
Until next time,