The representation of women as agents of ecological and societal regeneration: A reading of The Sacred Forest (1998) and Gaining the Game (2010)

Authors

  • Wirsiy E. Sahfan University of Buea, Cameroon

Keywords:

destruction, ecology, emancipation, regeneration

Abstract

Ecological destruction traditionally is often considered as coterminous with irreparable devastation of the comfort and security of mankind. However, out of this situation emerges the desire to repair and avert future damage. In Africa, this obligation however seems to rest squarely on the shoulders of the women who have a more direct and closed relationship with nature than other members of society. The ecological harm by humans is both a source of discomfort and conflict, but which triggers changes in power dynamics and profound ecological regeneration. This paper is based on the premise that Inyang and Takwi present women as the main agents of ecological and social regeneration. It was guided by the following research questions: How does ecological destruction unfold in the plays? What are the effects of this ecological destruction? What is the role of women in solving this problem and how does it contribute to change in social dynamics? In line with the above research questions, emerges the hypothesis: Inyang and Takwi present ecological destruction as a source of discomfort and conflict but which triggers positive changes in power dynamics, and diverse ecological regeneration.

References

Inyang, Ekpe. 1998. The Sacred Forest. Limbe: Pressbook Press Limbe.

Takwi, Mathew. 2010. Gaining the Game. Bamenda: NAB VENTURES.

Mellor, Mary. 1997. Feminism and Ecology. New York: New York University Press.

Worster, Donald. 1993. The Nature of Nature: Environmental History and the Ecological Imagination. New York. Oxford University Press.

Anderson, Christopher Todd. 2010. “Sacred Waste: Ecology, Spirit and the American Garbage poem”. Slovic et al eds . ISLE. vol 17 issue 1. Edwards Brothers, PP 34-60.

Berg, Peter. 2010. “Envisioning Sustainability”. Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment. Vol.17 Issue 2 Spring pp 439-440.

………..Natures role in climate change. Nature and biodiversity. European Commission. August 2009.

Besthorn H. Fred and Diane Pearson McMillen. 2002. “The Oppression of Women and Nature: Ecofeminism as a framework for an Expanded Ecological Social Work”. Families in Society. Vol 83, number 3.

Gabriele, Dürbeck. 2012. “Writing Catastrophes: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Semantics of Natural and Anthropogenic Disasters”. ECOZONE vol 3 no1 ISSN 2171-9594

Kiangi,Geoff E. 2001. “Africa: Problems, Challenges and the Basis for Hope.” Olugbenga Adesida and Arunma, Oteh (eds) African Voices. Stockholm: Elanders Gotab.Pp. 68-83.

Onyinoyi, Hassan Bashirat. 2014. Literature and Ecology: A Study of

Wole Soyinka’s A Dance of the Forests and The

Beatification of an Area Boy. Diss. Zaria: Ahmadu Bello University.

Tyagi, Swati et al. 2014. “Environmental Degradation: Causes and Consequences”. European Researcher. vol 81, no 82 pp1491-1498.

Warren, Karren. 1987. “Feminism and Ecology: Making Connections” Environmental Ethics. Vol 9(1).. pp3- 20.

Emmot, Stephen. 2013. “Ten Billion”. The Guardian. [Accessed November 2020 (http://www.theguardian.com)].

Mishra, Alok.2016. Ecocriticism Theory in Literature: Introduction and Analysis. [ Accessed December 2020 (http://www.alok.mishra.net) ].

Hughes Donald. An Environmental History of the World. [Accessed November 2020 (https://networks.h.net.org>reviews) ]

Downloads

Published

2021-10-03

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

The representation of women as agents of ecological and societal regeneration: A reading of The Sacred Forest (1998) and Gaining the Game (2010). (2021). Journal of Postcolonial Writing and World Literatures, 2(3). https://royalliteglobal.com/world-literatures/article/view/626