Dynamics of Power, Widowhood, and Female Sexual Agency in Ogbu’s The Moon Also Sets

Abstract

In many African literary texts, widows are portrayed as marginalised and oppressed, often treated as the property of men and excluded from spaces of power. Their sexuality is tightly controlled through hetero-patriarchal traditions that construct them as nonsexual, passive beings whose desires are either erased or repressed. These cultural and social norms not only silence their bodily autonomy but also render them vulnerable to exploitation, humiliation, and continued male dominance. Such portrayals reinforce gendered power hierarchies that limit women’s roles to submissive, reproductive functions. However, contemporary literary narratives are increasingly challenging these representations by depicting widows as active agents who resist gendered oppression and reclaim their sexual agency. This paper examines how widows in Ogbu’s (2005) The Moon Also Sets challenge the hetero-patriarchal social order that seeks to suppress their sexuality and limit their participation in public and private spheres. It argues that widowhood can become a powerful site of resistance and transformation, where women assert agency through voice, action, and bodily autonomy. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s theory of power, sexuality, and the body, the study explores how widow characters disrupt dominant narratives, resist discipline, and reclaim control over their identities, thereby exposing and subverting the power structures that seek to oppress them. Keywords: docile, hetero-patriarchy, power, female sexual agency, widowhood https://dx.doi.org/10.56279/ummaj.v12i1.6