Abstract for 11. AFRICAN WOMEN AND THE STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM IN NGUGI WA THIONG’O’S DEVIL ON THE CROSS

On the eve of political independences, African literature, was rather inclined to fight against neocolonial predation. In this framework, Women’s agency has gradually emerged as a central issue with the evolution of African narrative fiction. This article indeed, questions motives, the form and the outcome of women’s struggle for freedom in Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s Devil on the Cross. Reference to Marxism and post-colonial feminism theory reveals that African women can shift from exploitative condition to hero of their community. They sacrifice their personal interest to free their country from domestic and international tycoons and robbers. Through such a commitment, they break with the traditional gender expectations that confine them to the subaltern and exploited roles. This article, therefore, asserts that Ngugi’s women are not just as a link in the chain for the liberation struggle, but essential and effective leader in the achievement of their political ideal.