God's Bits Of Wood Analysis

Superior Essays
Rashad Jones
World History 1320
MWF 11:00 a.m.
Pre-colonial African society was traditionally very patriarchal and male-dominated. In, “God’s Bits of Wood,” the author Sembene Ousmane tells how the invasion of a technological, capitalist market economy and a railroad strike effected the gender relations between men and women and how the status of women was altered. During this time the men ran everything and were very dominant in and outside of their households. The technological advances allowed the men to work at better jobs and this too caused the men to be more powerful compared to their counterparts, the women The change in the women was gradual. By the end of the strike the change in gender relations and women’s status was big. The first instance of a foreshadowed change in the women’s status was seen very early on. It was the early days of the strike and food had already become scarce because the French had cut off the food and water supply for the African people hoping that starvation would end the strike. Men would come back to their homes with nothing for their wives and children to eat. People started to starve. This
…show more content…
The point of the march was to support the strikers and to protest their (the women’s) treatment because the French had dismissed the wives of the strikers as being concubines. There was a small group of men that followed behind the women on their trip to Dakar. The leader of this march was of course a woman and her name was Penda. It was odd that the women were the ones who lead the march and not the men. This shows that the patriarchal period is pretty much over. Women had taken control and had started to lead the men. Because of this march the women solidified their place in society and they were no longer dominated by the men. The women’s march successfully aided in bringing the strike to an

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Throughput this course we have examined numerous and substantial events in our nation’s history, and how it impacted the lives of women. This essay where examine the effect of two significant events, the depression and WWII, and the effect they had on woman. It will then focus on the lasting, if any, effects these events have had on the role of women in our nation. Finally, it examine whether or not these events radically changed women’s lives, or if women’s lives stayed the same throughout these events. The first event that strongly effect women during this time period was the Great Depression in the 1930’s.…

    • 725 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Triangle Fire Analysis

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Even today, there are still more people out their living paycheck to paycheck. It is something like this that changed how the workforce is today for us. The factory owners would hire the police to arrest the people who go on strike and prostitutes to pick fights with the workers. This just shows that the factory owners has the money to keep the workers to not go on strike, but they did not care. The women knew that their families will starve because they will not be earning money for that week.…

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Within the field of history, perspective is vital; it influences what or who is remembered, how it is transcribed, and how it is analyzed. Addressing the concept of perspective, Linda Kerber and Jane Sherron De Hart, editors of the 1991 edition Women’s America: Refocusing the Past, outline Gerda Lerner’s four steps of women’s history writing, and then proceed to illustrate a brief history of American women and the perceptions that surround them. In particular, they focus on the erasure of their history, invisible labor, and the undervaluation of women’s work. Judith Carney, in her essay “The African Women Who Preceded Uncle Ben: Black Rice in Carolina,” echoes many of the tenants set forth by the introduction, but also goes beyond to tackle…

    • 1317 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The rise of women’s advocacy groups during this time period had profound effects on the course of western history and society. The women's question sparked social, political, and economic reforms that act as the foundations of modern life. The freedoms practiced today can be directly traced back to the women's suffrage movement; in which women campaigned to achieve equality. The efforts of the the suffragists spawned a century's worth of progressive reforms that would not only impact women, but minorities as well.…

    • 618 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Women's Rights Dbq

    • 143 Words
    • 1 Pages

    In the nineteenth century, women and slaves had very little rights. Women were holding various movements to trying to gain rights for themselves. They were furious at that fact they were being denied many of the rights men had, solely based on their gender. Women would lose property once they got married, even it had been it their family for centuries. If they were working when they got married they had to quit their job to become a housewife.…

    • 143 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Flappers In 1920s

    • 1681 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The suffrage movement created higher expectations for these women and shortly after in the 20th century, they were allowed to have jobs in the fields that men work in, although they weren’t perceived in the same way. The Women’s Suffrage movement had a privilege to these women in order to have a place in their society and one step closer…

    • 1681 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A. Mothers of Invention: Women of the Slaveholding South in the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust is a colorful depiction of southern women during the Civil War. B. As a reader I was able to gain important knowledge and insight on how the privileged women lived their lives. While comparing how their lives changed from the very beginning of the war and to the end. C. Faust used diaries, newspapers, political documents and expressive letters to show the variety of lives that women during the Civil War lived.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gender roles before the 1920’s were very distinct. Women were lower than men on the social scale and had little to no power. They were strictly in charge of the domestic issues and chores. Women taught and raised their children, as well as did the cooking, cleaning, and other chores throughout the house.…

    • 1758 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In America the woman in the 1970,s were almost never respected and always limited from being a mother at home as well as their workplace. Woman never had a chance from the start. They were expected to get married in their early 20s and devote her time and energy to running the household. Woman basically had one purpose be the keeper of her kids or her husband. Woman devoted most of their time taking of the kids and spent around 55 hours a week cleaning the house and whatever else she needed to do within the household.…

    • 1411 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Slavery has always been an awful thing. But It can be denied it play a major role in our history. For the purpose of this historiographical paper I will focus in slavery in the United States in colonial times. Focusing on African women something that many historian agree hasn’t been talk enough.…

    • 1405 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    During the 19th century, much of Africa had been occupied by the British Empire. Society was changing and becoming more open to the abolishment of the slave trade. As the slave trade ended, the British still controlled many locations within Africa and established colonies. The British imposed their customs to try to “civilize” the Africans. For some Africans slavery still existed in areas not occupied by the British.…

    • 1336 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    European Imperialism started in Africa as early as the 1500s, beginning with the slave trade, coastal outposts and colonies. Eventually it became something different as the European powers each sought to have their own piece of land in Africa. Throughout the years, Africa was affected positively and negatively through social and economic elements. The African people were forced to change in ways that made them “better,” or more modern, and tourism began growing, but there were also views and attitudes of some Europeans as being “superior races.” Africans were also affected economically because of colonies becoming linked through railroads, the forced advancement of society, and through the expansion of territories.…

    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Brilliant Essays

    Negative Effects Of Imperialism In Africa

    • 1743 Words
    • 7 Pages
    • 7 Works Cited

    Firstly, Europeans uprooted spiritual and traditional values of the African people. The spread of Christianity had many negative influences. Missionaries had shown themselves intolerant and ignorant of traditional religious beliefs and social practices of African people.10 They were often horrified by the common practice of Polygamy. In the 1860s, white teachers in Africa warned villagers about their “lax” sexual ways and sinful tendencies. In addition, European imperial powers prompted different naming cultures.…

    • 1743 Words
    • 7 Pages
    • 7 Works Cited
    Brilliant Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women have endured social tyranny in their homes and in their countries, but it has not stopped them, it has pushed them forward. The gained then were victories that motivated the women to keep fighting and make their voices heard. Although there may still be discrimination against women today, the gender roles and social injustice is gradually diminishing. The movement was a turning point in history, and has affected women world…

    • 1015 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the 1800’s women were not looked upon as an equal to men because of multiple unexplained reasons. They were forced to be dominated by the male race and leave all the “important decisions” to them. Through interviews from lives of women who faced this period of being powerless and unworthy questions will be answered to why times where so biased towards men. In today’s world women have a mission and a vision of success; serving themselves and voicing their own opinions. WOMEN: PAST VS.…

    • 1054 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays