A Contemporary Image of the African Woman in Allah is not Obliged by Ahmadou Kourouma

Abstract

 Women have been, from time immemorial, considered to be inferior to their male counterparts. Debates of the feminist literary writers have always been centred on the sufferings of women under the patriarchalAfrican societies and male writers have most of the times been presenting a negative image of women. This paper, therefore, set to correct the existing misconception which affect women and bring to the fore the impressive images ofAfrican women in Allah is not obliged(2000) by the Ivorian, Ahmadou Kourouma. The suppression of women's oppression by men and the defence of their interest have been and have remained the bedrock of Feminist writers. However, much needs to be done in depicting the exceptional qualities and positive contributions of African women in the modem society in order to sustain and recognise the unflinching support of women's roles to build a virile African project. If, by and large, male writers have most of the time been presenting a negative image of women, Ahmadou Kourouma is all out to fill the missing link in his novels where he demonstrates with dexterity the inspiring and daring images of his female characters by eclipsing the erstwhile negative image of the African woman.