Representations of Female Characters’ Resilience in Selected Plays by John Ruganda

Abstract

This research investigates the theme of resilience as portrayed by female characters in selected plays by John Ruganda. It focuses on four plays: The Burdens (1972); Black Mamba (1973); The Floods (1980); and Echoes of Silence (1986). The study focuses on the prowess of female characters that feature in the selected plays by John Ruganda. It pursues two objectives: To explore the language and style Ruganda uses to portray the resilience of female characters in the selected plays; and to assess the relevance of John Ruganda’s plays to the contemporary society. The study seeks to answer two research questions: How is style (symbolism, characterisation and setting) used to express resilience of female characters in the selected texts? and What is the relevancy of John Ruganda’s plays to the contemporary society? Data was obtained through close reading, especially of the selected plays by John Ruganda and analysed using post-colonial theory and feminist theory to examine the representations of resilience of female characters in selected plays. The study found out that Ruganda’s portrayal of female characters’ resilience in the plays is influenced by socio-political forces and they are depicted as subordinate to men. While male characters seem to lose the battle as female characters skilfully destroy the men’s schemes, we still do not see women emerge conspicuously triumphant, and where they do, they are leaning to the same man or some other male character. Ruganda uses flashback, allusion; dramatic irony; play- within-a-play; symbolism and foreshadowing to show that female characters are expected to be subservient to their male counterparts, and where this expectation is not met, it usually leads to disastrous consequences. The study recommends, among other things, that John Ruganda’s plays be popularised in school by creating opportunities and avenues for students to act them out regularly; Ruganda’s plays be acted out into videos to reach even those who are unable to read proficiently; that female playwrights be encouraged to write parody plays exploring themes tackled by John Ruganda in his various plays so as to give the feminists’ perspective of female characters’ resilience as a way of responding to the gender concerns raised by Ruganda in his plays. Areas for further research are suggested in the topics such as Depictions of Human rights violation in selected plays by John Ruganda. There should also be a study on the fate of the Ugandan theatre in the digital world centred on Artificial Intelligence.