Definitions of the self in Luo women's orature

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Periodical article

Title:	Definitions of the self in Luo women's orature
Author:	Ayodo, Awuor
Year:	1994
Periodical:	Research in African Literatures
Volume:	25
Issue:	3
Pages:	121-129
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Kenya
Subjects:	Luo folk tales women literature Cultural Roles
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/3819849
Abstract:	The storyteller is the equivalent of the novelist, retelling basic tales of the human condition, yet making these tales unique by contributing to them a particular artistic talent. This study of the definitions of the female self as portrayed by Luo women's orature in Kenya identifies the influences that work to shape the choice of themes employed within these narratives. The article is based on stories told by three primary school teachers from Nyanza District and Nairobi, who were interviewed in 1991. The stories they told are for the most part centred on female characters. They are all didactic in that they prescribe modes of behaviour for both men and women in various circumstances. In general the stories deal with three themes, the courting period, marriage and parenthood. The conclusion is that these themes represent three distinct definitions of the female self and role that interact constantly in continuous dialogic relationships. Bibliogr., notes, ref.