The Theme of Feminism

Introduction

Theme is the main subject or agenda passed on by author to the readers or audience. In this book I intent to explore how the theme of feminism is brought out the readers and also how the characters portrays this them. The story revolves around Akoko. The buck stops with women in the fight against oppressive testosterone. It is upon women to tap into their innermost strength to transform the world it what they imagined. Akoko, being on the losing end in a male dominated family fought her way to earn her father's love. She had to put her feet on the ground to make the world recognize her. Aloo, the family spokesman said that Akoko's hard work had been incorporated into a saying that women sending their children on errands would mention her. She did not show any female shyness when she was introduced to her husband to be. With her head held high, Akoko stirred into Owuor Kembo a feeling that had not earned vocabulary among the Luo love.

Akoko did not forbid the chief to marry only one wife. She was satisfied with him marrying as many wives as he can depending on his ability. It was the chief's decision, to do has per his will and remain faithful to his wife .We are not told of any arm-twisting but sure as the sun rises in the east, Akoko build Chief Owuor Kembo to stand in her defence and love her unconditionally. I don't want to give out details on how managed it, and I don't intent to sound melodramatic about it. One thing that is for certain is, women have the power to change oppressive traditions to accommodate them. Otieno Kembo treated his wives like sluts. He thought he would do the same to Akoko, short as she was; she had the height in confidence. She stood him down on various occasions. She earned his fear and she cherished it. The difference between Akoko and Otieno's wives are, she was daring where the wives were submissive, she was confident where they were shy and she was loving where they were just doing their duty to their husband.

Many women in oppressive regimes choose to me dutiful. To ask little, oppose little and take in as much as they can. (Read Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Sun's). In most occasions, women wait until it is too late to do too little. Akoko stood before the DO and DC to demand for the birthright of her grandson. She did not have to use men to right a wrong; she did what any mother would do in the face of uncollapsible wall. She forwarded the case before the white man herself, defiant like Mekatilili before the British who were conscripting young Giriama men into a war they knew little about. She knew her days in Sakwa were over, she therefore packed, having won the war, and went away. Let me shift gears and burrow into other characters that bore a mark on feminism in the book. First on the list is Vera. Vera as a young lady broached a question which by standards of the time would have brought the earth to a standstill.

Even in some societies today, such acts are despicable. She asked her father for permission to go out on a date with Tony Muhambe. This was an atrocity that could lodge a fishbone in any father. Her mother of course intervened in the matter but this act alone marked Vera as a woman daring to stand against forces that had defined her community. She turned down Tony's proposal for marriage! Who does that? She therefore decided to live unmarried life! This alone would have earned her father shame that would have landed him hanging on a tree in a banana plantation shame written over his face. A girl's destiny was determined by her father. Vera did the despicable and her dad was okay with it. Wandia Mugo the wife of Aoro sigu is a significant woman too. She did ask Aoro to marry her! Further on in the book, she becomes the first Kenyan woman to earn a doctorate in Medicine. Men should shallow a hard pill on this! A woman! A doctor! A doctor Woman!

Conclusion

Entirely, the trendsetters in this book are ladies who stand out to struggle and live their own life and do away with regimes that are oppressive and fail to recognize woman. Woman in this book have proved that they can still perform tasks that man can do. The sense of equality is created by the characters in the play. It is unfortunate that more communities culture does not support this idea of equality between woman and men. This theme of feminism is argued out briefly as per the context.

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