GENDER AND REVOLUTIONARY AESTHETICS IN BAYO ADEBOWALE'S THE VIRGIN AND TUNDE KELANI'S THE NARROW PATH: A COMPARISON

Abstract

Literatures on feminism, feminine condition, sexual and gender studies have dominated literary discourse in Africa in recent times Many researchers have carried out studies relating to women subjugation, most of them are focused on inter-gender subjugation (Karik-Namiji (2016), Ebukue (2017), Oyewole (2015), Grandy & Williams (2014). The focus here is a step beyond inter-gender subjugation and feminism previously researched, but the expected revolution that should reconstruct our gender understanding and properly reposition some cultures, not community culture but personal culture, the way of life of individuals taking responsibility for their actions. The African society is a multi-cultural society. Every community and individual seeks to establish, advance and promote cultural beliefs, norms and values to the global world. The question is, do we hold on 'stubbornly' to an age-long tradition or should there be avenue for cultural amendment and compromise? Succinctly put, do we revolutionize some cultural beliefs or do we blindly hold on to them irrespective of their negative effects on the citizens, especially females? This paper is aimed to address these questions and more with a sympathy towards advocacy for change and change is revolutionary. Our methodology is to engage the theories of Comparative Analysis cum Feminism, to equally explore the position of love and rape. The comparative analysis of gender revolution, socio-cultural amendments, sexual agency and differentials in cultural visions of the selected artists is done in the selected literary works of Bayo Adebowale and Tunde Kelani. The study discovers and concludes that sexual agency initiated by both genders couple with revolutionary aesthetics are the ingredients that will reform African society.