TASK 1 A): Literary Criticism Essay

I have selected the short story “The Collectors of Treasure” by Bessie Head to be
analysed in this task. This story is about a woman who has a difficult life and murders her
irresponsible husband, but who somehow always manages to find moments of happiness
with the treasures she have in the pain by being strong, compassionate, kind and brave and
being grateful for what she have.

Literary criticism can be defined as disciplined activity that attempts to

describe, study, analyse, justify, interpret and evaluate a work of art (Bressler, 2011)
based on literary theory. For this task, I will analyse the short story based on the literary
theory of feminism. Feminist literary critics are motivated to raise questions about literature
and literary criticism that are basic to women’s struggle for autonomy. According to
Bressler (2011), “feminist criticism is focus on patriarchy, the rule of society and
culture by men toward women. It is also useful for analysing how gender itself is
socially constructed for both men and women.

From my analysis of this story based on feminism literary theory, feminism can be
seen through Dikeledi’s attitudes toward her life. Dikeledi has always been independent
by taking care of her own children alone without her irresponsible husband, Garesego help.
She was always busy and employed to feed and managed to raise her children well after her
husband left her and slept with other women from hut to hut (pg 57, paragraph 6, line 4-9).
Despite of her misfortune life, she always being optimistic and grateful for what she have
especially her children and friends. This can be seen from the extracts below taken from
page 70.

“…she had struggled to maintain herself and the children. She had filled her life with
treasures of kindness and love she had gathered from others …” (paragraph 6, line 4 -7)

From this extract, it shows that Dikeledi is an independent woman and did not rely on others
to survive. She fed her children by herself which is supposed to be her husband
responsibilities. She shows that as a woman she is capable to live by her own and gained
precious treasures despite her misfortune marriage and struggle to gain her place in a
society. These extract comply with the feminist view that woman has power to survive on
their own and regain their place in society as equal as men.

Next, feminism also can be seen through one of theme in the story which is
inequality between man and women. In this story, women are expected to stay home and
become housewives to serve their husband and children. Women are also seen as inferior to
the men. In Dikeledi’s case, she had been considered by her husband Garesego to be “an
inferior form of human life (pg 59). This situation can be relate to African society context
which many African women have throughout history been subject to gender
oppression in their male-dominant society(Sorensen, 2000).Other than that, Dikeledi
also does not have any right to ask for divorce from her husband despite of her husband
oppression toward her (……………). This perception that being portrayed through
Garesego’s attitudes toward women shows that woman is regard as property for the men
which they can control and do anything they want. For example, Garesego abused his wife
because he was brought up in a society which supported dominance of men over women.
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. The men in the story also did not think
that the women need love and care. This can be proved by what Kebonye say to Dikeledi in
the prison.

“….Our men do not think that we need tenderness and care (……………….)”

Due to this perception and mistreatment toward women, it causes the men to suffer the final
payback for their wrongs. In Dikeledi’s case, Dikeledi killed her husband, Garesego by
cutting his genitals because she felt bitter and humiliated by Garesego self-centred attitude.
This shows that women have feelings just as men do too.

As a feminist writer, Bessie Head also 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. Head used positive images of female qualities to raise
women's self-esteem and Head felt that women were as good as men even if the society
thought women were inferior. The Dikeledi's hands are emphasised by creating beautiful
designs which is her source of income in the village and also in the prison. Dikeledi could
knit, sew and weave baskets by using her soft, caressing, almost boneless and hands of
strange power (pg 57).

In conclusion, this story gives me a big impact on my views toward how women are
treated in Africa. In my opinion, women should be treated and respected as equal as men
because women is God creation too which deserves an equal treatment as others. In doing
this task, it also help me to appreciate myself more as a women and people around me by
doing more kindness and respect others.