Examine how both works portray the complexities of gender expectations and social patterns
Blossoms of the Savannah
Setting: Modern rural Kenya
Context: A patriarchal society rooted in cultural traditions such as FGM, arranged marriage, and male dominance.
Portrayal of Gender Expectations:
- Patriarchal Authority:
Ole Kaelo (the father) embodies traditional male dominance. He controls decisions about his daughters’ futures, including their education and marriage—especially Resian, whom he attempts to marry off without her consent.
This reflects how men are expected to be providers and decision-makers, while women are expected to be obedient and passive. - Cultural Pressure on Women:
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is portrayed as a rite of passage forced upon girls to make them “acceptable” for marriage.
Characters like Mama Milanoi conform to these traditions, showing how even women internalize and uphold oppressive gender norms. - Resistance and Empowerment:
Resian, the central heroine, defies societal norms by refusing FGM and a forced marriage. She seeks education and dreams of joining Egerton University—symbolizing a woman’s right to autonomy, ambition, and voice.
Taiyo, though initially more compliant, also awakens to the injustice around her. - Modernity vs. Tradition:
The clash between urban values (freedom, education, choice) and rural traditions (control, obedience, silence) is central to the gender conflict.
A Doll’s House
Setting: 19th-century Norway
Context: A rigid, male-dominated society where women were legally and socially dependent on men.
Portrayal of Gender Expectations:
- The ‘Ideal’ Woman:
Nora is expected to be the perfect wife and mother—obedient, cheerful, and childlike. Her husband, Torvald, constantly refers to her as a “little squirrel,” “skylark,” and “spendthrift”—terms that reduce her to a doll-like figure who exists for his pleasure. - Economic Dependence:
Women like Nora couldn’t take loans without a man’s consent. Nora’s secret loan shows how society denies women financial power, even in emergencies. - Performative Femininity:
Nora “performs” her role to fit Torvald’s image of the ideal wife. Her transformation at the end—when she decides to leave her husband and children to find herself—is a radical statement on a woman’s right to independence, education, and self-respect. - Social Judgment:
Nora’s final decision challenges the moral and social patterns of her time, which viewed a woman’s place as firmly within the home. Her act of walking out was shocking and revolutionary.
Comparative Analysis:
| Theme | Blossoms of the Savannah | A Doll’s House |
|---|---|---|
| Patriarchy | Enforced through culture and family | Enforced through law and marriage |
| Women’s Role | Caregivers, brides, culturally submissive | Housekeepers, mothers, dependent on men |
| Resistance | Resian resists FGM and forced marriage | Nora leaves her marriage and children |
| Female Agency | Sought through education and urban life | Sought through self-realization and separation |
| Oppressors | Men (Ole Kaelo), and women who enforce tradition (Olarinkoi’s mother, Mama Milanoi) | Men (Torvald), and the larger societal system |
Conclusion:
Both texts powerfully expose how gender roles are shaped by culture, law, and social expectation, and how these roles can trap, silence, or diminish women. Yet, through the journeys of Resian and Nora, we see a shared theme of resistance, awakening, and self-liberation. Despite the differences in time and place, each woman ultimately dares to reject the expectations imposed on her and reclaims her own path.