NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
The Collector of Treasures Bessie Head wrote many of her stories in Botswana. Her unhappy marriage and personal exile to Africa developed in her works the sense of outsider not really belonging to any ethnic group. Her stories deal primarily with the fate of women in African society; she writes both from a "postcolonial" and a feminist perspective. "Black women have a certain history of oppression within African culture... women's problems are rooted in custom and tradition. What is certainly very dominant here is that the male had a superior position to the female... " Heads story The Collector of Treasures is accusation of the oppressive attitudes of men in her culture toward the women and children they are supposed to love and care for.
The author develops this theme through the contrast of the marriage of the main character Dikeledi and her husband Garesego with the much more idyllic one of their neighbors, Kenalepe and Paul Thebolo. Before even introducing the Thebolos, Head observes that there are two types of men: those who have sex with their women like dogs and those who really care about women as human beings. Garesego is the first type of man. He got Dikeledi pregnant three times during four years, and then he left her.
He continued to live in the same village but assumed no responsibility for either his wife or his sons. For many years thereafter, she never approaches him for assistance for either herself or her children, apparently regarding it as a matter of. Her neighbor Kenalepe's husband, Paul, is completely different from Garesego. Kenalepe and Paul have a loving marriage and a wonderful sex life, which Kenalepe describes for her friend in great detail. It shows her that there are men who do not act like sex-crazed dogs, and who respect their women. It induces her to try to approach Garesego again -- not for sex, but to try to convince him to pay the school fees so their oldest son can go to secondary school, which is more expensive than the primary school the youngest children attend.
She only needs a small amount of money, having saved the rest herself, and knows that this would be no financial burden for him. Garesego does neither love nor want Dikeledi no more. She knows that sex is power, and having sex with him, when she needs something from him would mean his power over Dikeledi. After committing the crime, Dikeledi in prison does not feel that her life been so bad. She has learned much more from her hardships than Kenalepe has learned from her good fortune, and in her travels through life she has managed to earn the respect of men like Paul and women like Kebonye.
The storys title The Collector of Treasures would seem that what Dikeledi has collected in her lifetime has been not treasure but heartbreak. As Dikeledi observes, throughout her hard life she has looked beneath the surface and collected small treasures, and these give her the strength to go on. Surely what had Dikeledi done is not the solution to the problem of all the society. Womens position is hardly improving because of this. Dikeledi crime is not unique; the women in prison establish their own community: they have killed the husbands through the same method.
The Dikeledi's hands are emphasised, which do the work of creating beautiful designs but also did the work of killing her husband. As a feminist writer Bessie Head tries to represent women in positive way. A feminist is a person who believes in the principle that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. Most of Heads works show that she felt there was an injustice done to women especially by men. She was against any form of discrimination. She was against tribalism, racism, servitude and feminism - these ideas seemed to be dominant in most of her works.
Head used positive images of female qualities to raise women's self esteem and lend authority to their political demands. Head felt that women were as good as men even if the society thought women were inferior. This seemed to be the main theme of her works. This shows that she felt that the inequality between the sexes should be ended.
For example, Garesego abused his wife because he was brought up in a society which supported dominance of men over women. He thought and behaved as God to Dikeledi. He could come and go as he pleased. This is an example of a typical Motswana man who believes his wife is a property to be used.
Garesego is not a man but only a phallic symbol because when he finally came home he only wanted to have sexual intercourse with Dikeledi. Dikeledi killed him because she felt bitter and humiliated. This shows that women have feelings just as men do too. Men and women are equal in Head's view.
Sources web
Free research essays on topics related to: treasures, collector, observes, feminist, dogs
Research essay sample on Collector Of Treasures Kenalepe And Paul Women
