The enactment of Male Mothering in Clark's the Wives' Revolt

Abstract

The predominantly conventional situation in indigenous and contemporaryAfrica has been a practice of female mothering within the domestic space.Given the postmodern spirit of professionalization that is affecting numerousentrepreneurial outfits and agencies around the world, men have entered intospaces of mothering, hitherto reserved for women. Examples abound in Europeand America of male nannies while a sizeable number of men in Nigeriasecured employment through the growing influence of the Macdonaldizationwitnessed in fast food companies. This has influenced the gender changingroles witnessed in a number of homes in Nigeria and in Africa. This paper􀁗􀁋􀁈􀁕􀁈􀁉􀁒􀁕􀁈􀀃􀁈􀁛􀁄􀁐􀁌􀁑􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁓􀁕􀁈􀁖􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁐􀁄􀁏􀁈􀀃􀁐􀁒􀁗􀁋􀁈􀁕􀁌􀁑􀁊􀀃􀁌􀁑􀀃􀀦􀁏􀁄􀁕􀁎􀂷􀁖􀀃􀀷􀁋􀁈􀀃􀀺􀁌􀁙􀁈􀁖􀂷􀀃Revolt with a view to establishing the artistic agency of the playwright. Judith􀀥􀁘􀁗􀁏􀁈􀁕􀂷􀁖􀀃􀁊􀁈􀁑􀁇􀁈􀁕􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀁒􀁕􀁜􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃Performativity is used to analyze representations. Thediscussion of representation in the play shows that the playwright mismanagesthe male mothers and thereby demonstrates a clear misapprehension of genderas performance.Key words : Female mothering, domestic space, male nannies, performativity,representation, performance