Spencer Mahler
AP English Literature
Troy
03/05/2013
Born Into Roles
Compared to the United States, Africa has many different customs and cultural
values. The gender roles in the United States and the gender roles in Africa are so
distinctly different but are clashed together in The Poisonwood Bible so that they can be
truly compared and contrasted. In African culture and African traditional life, gender is
defined according to roles and functions in the society. It is what it means to be male or
female in a certain society that shapes the opportunities one is offered in life, the roles
one may play, and the kinds of relationships one may have” (2). What gender one is born
ultimately paves the outline for the type of life they will live and what roles they will play
in the future. In the United States, the gap between gender inequalities is narrowing. This
gives new possibilities to both sexes and allows equal rights for everyone. But in Africa,
gender inequalities are common and males are still very dominant.
In response to men still dominating the African culture, polygamy is still
commonly practiced even in the rural villages of Africa. Men can marry as many wives
as they want, while women are treated as subjects to the men. Women do not have the
choices and freedom of their counterparts, so therefore they can only marry one man.
“Women in South Africa have gained substantial rights and opportunities since 1994, but
this has not yet adequately dealt with inequalities, which are still very prevalent among
the genders” (1). An extremely important issue that remains to keep the gender inequality
intact is the amount of violence. Abuse against women and children are still accepted in
most of Africa and feed the dominance of the powerful male. Women are seen as inferior
to the men and therefore are refused natural rights. Women are mistreated in the village,
the community and in the family. Women are treated as possessions. First women are
used as workhorses by their fathers and then later on by their husbands. This is
encouraging the males view on the correct and most sufficient way of life.
When the Price family moved to the Congo they were fixed onto the lifestyle and
habits of the United States. “Some of them were dancing, and others merely ran around
cooking, as if nakedness were nothing special. They passed back and forth with pots and
kettles, all bare-chested unashamed. They were very busy with the animal in the fire,
pulling it to pieces now and mixing it with something steaming in a pot” (24-25). Rachel
Price illustrates her experience of the gender indifferences by stating the Congolese
woman were “unashamed” to be running around naked. Although, this is an unusual site
in the United States, this new concept to Rachel and the rest of the Price family is a
common practice in the Congo. Rachel also notices that the Congolese woman “were
very busy” which is important because it helps the audience understand that the
Congolese women are hard working and are forced under a large amount of
responsibility. In the United States, it is possible for a family to get by with just one of
the parents working but in the Congo parents complete numerous tasks to ensure just a
simple meal on the table.
“The women are supposed to wave palm leaves and chase the flames in toward
the middle until all the trapped animals inside get completely nerve-racked and jump out
through the fire. This is the cue for the man to shoot them” (336). In the United States
women are seen as equals. Women can vote, be independent and compete against men in
a variety of things. In Africa women are tools that partake in dangerous situations to
provide for their family. As the Congolese women “chase the flames” they put
themselves at risk but this is important because it lists how essential the female role is to
the success of the hunt. Since men are more skilled with shooting the animals, they have
the role of killing. When the village of Kilanga was hosting the big hunt, Leah Price
wanted to participate in the event. Earlier descriptions in The Poisonwood Bible indicate
Leah is talented with the bow and has a pretty good shot. The village does not want Leah
to partake in the hunt because she is a woman and should be spending her time picking
up the leftover food after the hunt. This is an example of gender stereotyping which refers
to the traditional role of boys and girls. A case study at the Institute of South Africa
concludes that most of the stereotypes of gender roles are precise but with a few
exceptions.
“…the reason for girls being less confident in Mathematics is based on their having been
told thus by parents and their teachers and other means, such as the media and books.
And therefore children fall in line as some sore of self-fulfilling prophecy” (1). The case
study proved girls to be just as good as boys at mathematics but growing up being told
that you are not as good at something really sticks in your brain. In Africa women are
born into specific roles and aren’t usually given a chance at roles that are not designated
for them. Women are not given a chance at different roles because they are told they are
not good at them from the beginning or because the community sees it wrong to strive for
the opposite sexes role. In the United States all children are given equal opportunities in
life but in the Congo education on girls is seen as a waste because they are thought of as
inferior and less intelligent.
“But Pascal quickly forgave me, and it’s a good thing, since friends of my own
age and gender were not available, the girls of Kilanga all being too busy hauling around
firewood, water, or babies. It did cross my mind to wonder why Pascal had a freedom to
play and roam that his sisters didn't. While the little boys ran around pretending to shoot
each other and fall dead in the road, it appeared little girls were running the country”
(113). The young girls in the Congo were already “hauling around firewood, water, or
babes” which truly emphasizes the pressure the women are in at such a young age. Seeing
girls her age carrying around babies is astonishing to Leah Price. In the Congo this is
normal because families need all the help they can get to guarantee helpful labor. In the
United States children are much more pampered and don’t start working until a later age.
Males and females have different specific roles in the place they live in.
Although, the Congolese women don’t have the same rights as the women in the United
States they still play a large role in the attainment of the community as a whole. Since
Africa isn’t as developed as the United States, it is understood why men have such an
aggressive control over the women. The roles males and females have, have been created
over time to institute the success of past experiences. Since men are usual more athletic
and stronger they are the hunters in Africa. The United States is much different because
hunting isn’t a required skill to survive. The United States has developed enough to
where the roles of male and females can be intertwined without worrying about survival.
The gender roles in Africa are much different than the gender roles in the United States
and that is important in how the community runs. Specific roles in Africa allow the
community of families to succeed but in the United States gender equality allows career
opportunities for both males and females.
Works Cited
Albertyn, Catherine. "Law, Gender And Inequality In South Africa." Oxford
Development Studies 39.2 (2011): 139-162. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6
Mar. 2013.
Kingsolver, Barbara. The Poisonwood Bible. New York; Harper Collins, 2005. Print.
Mwamwenda, Tuntufye S. "Teachers' Gender Stereotypes In South Africa: A Case
Study." Journal Of Psychology In Africa 21.4 (2011): 611-613. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 6 Mar. 2013.
Ngubane, Siegfried .GENDER ROLES IN THE AFRICAN CULTURE:
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS. Web. Mar. 2010.