Linking the African Past and Present: Linking the African Past and Present: Corrective Representation of Women in Aminatta Forna’s Ancestor Stones

Nataša V. Ninčetović

Abstract


Starting from the observation that African women are often underrepresented and misrepresented in both African male literature and Western fiction, this paper offers evidence that Aminatta Forna’s Ancestor Stones (2006) aims at inscribing African women into history by focusing on their experiences. Forna’s debut novel not only challenges gender stereotyping but also deals with themes of women’s position and marriage in past and present West African society. A close reading of the novel suggests that whereas the female principle was valued in Africa’s pre-colonial era, in colonial Africa women were respected solely for their reproductive role. Precisely for this reason, women opted for marriage. The novel indicates that while marriage did mean security in the past, this is not the case in the present. The implication is that the changing historical and cultural circumstances necessitate a redefinition of the institution of marriage as a union based on equality and appreciation. Ancestor Stones acknowledges that there are greater opportunities for African women regarding access to education and occupations. However, this progress is overshadowed by the persistence of gender stereotypes and prejudice. Drawing on Nnaemeka’s collection of essays The Politics of (Mo)Othering: Womanhood, Identity and Resistance in African Literature, the article argues that women, despite being oppressed, can and should fight against this state of affairs. By highlighting the examples of women who rebelled against inequality and humiliation, the novel points to the direction of action toward the desired liberation and empowerment of women.

Keywords


Ancestor Stones; Aminatta Forna; African women; past; present

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bangura, Saidu (2025), ˝The Female Condition in the Novels of Aminatta Forna˝, in: Ernest Cole, Mohamed Camara (eds.), The Literature of Contemporary Sierra Leone: Trauma, Resilience, and Creativity, James Currey, New York, 59–76.

Cook, Cynthia (2007), ˝Polygyny: Did the Africans Get It Right?˝, Journal of Black Studies, 48(2): 232–250.

Forna, Aminatta (2006), Ancestor Stones, Bloomsbury, London

Gaard, Greta (1993), ˝Living Interconnections with Animals and Nature˝, in: Greta Gaard (ed.), Ecofeminism: Women, Animals, Nature, Temple UP, Philadelphia, 1-12.

Gagiano, Annie (2013), ˝Women Writing Nationhood Differently: Affiliative Critique in Novels by Forna, Atta, and Farah˝, Ariel: A Review of International English Literature, 44(1): 45–72.

Gagiano, Annie (2024), ˝Spokeswomen: African Authors’ Historical Fictional Witnessing in the Literary Anglosphere˝, in: Pavan Kumar Malreddy and Frank Schulze-Engler (eds.), Mapping World Anglophone Studies: English in a World of Strangers, Routledge, Abingdon, 260–279.

Lionnet, Francoise, Jennifer MacGregor (2017), ˝Aminatta Forna: Truth, Trauma, Memory˝, in: James Acheson (ed.), The Contemporary British Novel Since 2000, Edinburgh UP, Edinburgh, 199–208.

Merand, Patrick (1980), La Vie quotidienne en Afrique noire à travers la littérature africaine, Harmattan, Paris

Newell, Stephanie (2017), Writing African Women: Gender, Popular Culture and Literature in West Africa, Zed Books, London

Ng’umbi, Yunusy Castory (2017), ˝Reimagining Family and Gender Roles in Aminatta Forna’s ‘Ancestor Stones’”, TYDSKRIF VIR LETTERKUNDE, 54(2), 86–99.

Nnaemeka, Obioma, (1997), “Introduction”, in: Obioma Nnaemeka (ed.), The Politics of (M)othering: Womanhood, Identity and Resistance in African Literature, Routledge, London, 1–25.

Nnaemeka, Obioma (1997), ˝Urban Spaces, Women’s Places: Polygamy as a Sign in Mariama Ba’s Novels˝, in: Obioma Nnaemeka (ed.), The Politics of (M)othering: Womanhood, Identity and Resistance in African Literature, Routledge, London, 162–191.

Okuyade, Ogaga (2013), Eco-critical Literature: Regreening African Land- scape, African Heritage Press, NY, Lagos

Ortner, Sherry (1974), ˝Is Female to Male as Nature Is to Culture?˝, in: Michelle Zimbalist Rosaldo and Louise Lamphere (eds.), Women, Culture, and Society, Stanford UP, Stanford, 68–87.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.51558/2490-3647.2025.10.1.235

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


ISSN: 2490-3604 (print) ● ISSN: 2490-3647 (online)

Društvene i humanističke studije - DHS is under the Creative Commons licence.