Bessie head, romanciere de la condition feminine

Bessie head, the novelist of the feminine condition

• Auteur / Autrice : CELINE NDOZANGUE NDETOLOUM
• Direction : Michel Fabre
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Études africaines
• Date : Soutenance en 1987
• Etablissement(s) : Paris 3

Mots clés

Mots clés contrôlés

Pensée politique et sociale

Head, Bessie (1937-1986)

Botswana

Moeurs et coutumes

Féminisme et littérature

Résumé

L'indifference, l'incomprehension et le mepris de l'homme a l'egard de la femme ont conduit bessie head ,ecrivain sud-africain exile au botswana, a produire une oeuvre portant presqu'essentiellement sur la condition feminine. Ses romans offrent une panoplie de femmes marquantes par leur souffrance mais aussi leur force de caractere, et permettent d'eclairer certains points demeures obscurs par une certaine theorie celebrant la place non negligeable occupee par la femme dans la societe traditionnelle africaine. Malgre son role economique non negligeable, elle ne detenait aucun pouvoir reel, situation aggravee par la colonisation, meme si cette derniere a installe les elements de la prise de conscience de son exploitation, de son oppression et a seme les premieres graines de la protestation. Quel est le reflet litteraire de cette situation? les personnages impressionnent par leur determination, leur esprit d'independance leur souci de s'affranchir. Voulant surtout temoigner de ce qui est, la romanciere se refuse deliberement a creer des personnages extraordinaires. Ils ont, comme tout etre humain, des qualites et des faiblesses; ceci dans une perspective realiste. L'oeuvre de head se caracterise aussi par son engagement. Elle constitue un cri de revolte, s'adressant comme un defi aux hommes, mais aussi une denonciation de la depersonnalisation du noir. Head apparait alors comme l'historienne du martyr de la liberte. Head est feministe par son exemple, ses themes mais aussi par son ecriture, projection de ses reves.

Men's lack of concern, of understanding and of regard have caused bessie head, a south african writer and refugee, who has made her home in botswana, to produce an important work on the feminine condition. Thus, her novels present a display of feminine figures, who stand out by their suffering and their strength of character. The preliminary consideration of the women's condition through the different stages of the evolution of africa has made possible the clarification of certain points obscured by the kind of theory which celebrated the important place occupied by women in traditional societies. Despite the main economic role they played, women had no real power. Their precarious position has been worsened by colonization, even if this latter has enabled them to become conscious of their exploitation and oppression and has initiated their protest. What could be the meaning of this situation on literary level? head characters are impressive because of their determination, their sense of independence and their concern for emancipation, even if some of them resign themselves to their sad fate. In fact, head's work deals with women of traditional societies as well as those of modern societies; and moreover it is an account of what really exists. Thus, the novelist, intentionally, refuses to create extraordinary characters : her characters, like any human being, have qualities and failings, in order to meet her view. Head's novels are characterized by her commitment as well : she fights against any kind of sexism and racism and then appears as the historian of oppressed people. At last, head is feminist by her example, her themes, and her writing, a reflexion of her ideal.