Dance of Attrition and Resistance: Semiotics of Gender Stratification in Three Suitors, One Husband, and Until Further Notice

Awogu-Maduagwu, Edith Abisola and Owoeye, Samuel T. and Abiodun-Eniayekan, E. N. (2015) Dance of Attrition and Resistance: Semiotics of Gender Stratification in Three Suitors, One Husband, and Until Further Notice. Ibadan Journal of English Studies, 11.

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Abstract

This study is an assessment of African social structures through the lens of structuralist ideology by examining the opposing binaries of gender conflict which are eyjdcnt in the literature of colonised societies because the intersection of gender and power structm·e in societies is · often reflected in fictional literature of the region. The mythic establishment of patriarchal systems dominated the writings that predated the evolution of feminism and portrayed female subjugation as the status quo; a position wruch in retrospect reveals the rift underlying the conb:oversy of gender relations in contemporary African societies; especially in trado-western marriage systems. This article draws attention to the iilltializmg symbols of dominance which are celebrated during marriage c~remonics and how these act as endorsement for the gender subjugation of the woman wjthin the marriage itself. The tripartite semiotic system of the sign; the index; and the symbol of Peircian philosophy are employed for the purpose of analysis in this regard. The work focuses on the importance of gestural signifiers of inequality and reveals the potential danger of female attrition that lies in downplaying the unspoken and intrinsic power which subjugation practices in marriage ceremonies symbolize. The choice of the play is informed by the playwright's unique fusion of satiric irony and gestural d)rnmnics to portray gender stratification The work should bridge the gap in the dearth of literature that aims to deconstruct gender characterization m African dramaturgy.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	structuralism, semiotics, patriarchal structures, dance, attrition, resistance
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PE English
Divisions:	Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Humanities
Depositing User:	Mrs Patricia Nwokealisi
Date Deposited:	09 May 2017 15:35
Last Modified:	26 Apr 2018 11:06
URI:	http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/8107

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