Female Sites of Power

The Bride Price Tradition in Uganda and a New Historicist Reading of Okot p’Bitek’s White Teeth

Abstract

This article examines how the bride price tradition in Uganda is portrayed in Okot p’Bitek’s novel, White Teeth, and explores how gender roles within this practice affect individuals. It emphasises how female characters sometimes control male characters during the bride price negotiation process. The discussion addresses the common view that women and female characters are primarily victims of tradition, while men are perceived as controllers and beneficiaries. It highlights the psychological and financial pressures on men as they attempt to meet societal expectations, such as providing specific amounts of cash or assets to the bride's family. Using a new historicist approach, the analysis compares the fictional portrayal in Okot p’Bitek’s novel with societal perspectives from various Ugandan sources. These sources include research by the Non-governmental Organisation MIFUMI, which discusses the social, economic, and psychological aspects of bride price transactions. From an African feminist viewpoint, the analysis focuses on the conditions and perceptions of Ugandan women, both in literature and reality. This approach reveals the gendered dynamics of the tradition and how women influence male expectations. It also shows that both men and women can be victims of the tradition, challenging the typical portrayal of women as the sole victims in literature.

Keywords:

Bride price, New historicism, Feminism, Okot p’Bitek, MIFUMI

https://dx.doi.org/10.56279/ummaj.v12i1.9