Benevolent Sexism and Female Objectification in El Saadawi’s Woman At Point Zero And Amma Darkor’s Beyond The Horizon

Abstract

Women in the African society have attributed and internalized the notion of being weak and inferior. This notion of inferiority perpetuated through negative socialization has blinded women from knowing their own capabilities and thrown them into a state of psychological subservience. This paper using Fredrickson and Roberts (1997) objectification theory examines the elements of negative presentations and marginalization of women particularly as a tool for subjugation by men. This paper embraces a qualitative research approach that is based on the analysis of EL Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero and Darko’s Beyond the Horizon. The paper assesses benevolent sexism as the cruelest form of sexism that impede the African Women’s progress and the actualization of their dreams. It reveals the various forms of benevolent sexism as expressed in protective paternalism, complementary gender differentiation and Heterosexual intimacy that women suffer consistently as in wife battering, molestation and abuse. The paper contains that the novels, Woman at Point Zero and Beyond the Horizon draw attention on men’s discrimination against women in the society that is patriarchy in mode and the compelling need for the absolute liberation of women from the shackles of patriarchy.