The Societal Construction of Femininity as Depicted in the Metaphor of Chicken in Swahili Proverbs

Abstract

This paper is an exploration of the Swahili societal construction of femininity as depicted in proverbs formulated on the metaphor of ‘chicken.’ Birds, both domestic and wild are acknowledged as harbingers; therefore, they are couriers of signs, messages, and teachings. Bird signification in most cases is culture-specific but not arbitrary in its application given those birds, chicken included have been used as predictive signs capable of canvassing human behavioral patterns and even cognitive processes. Chicken is a popular bird reared by the Swahili people for its nutritional and commercial value. Apart from these material benefits, chicken is also critically embedded in the Swahili cultural life as reflected in the ubiquitous proverbs framed on the metaphor of chicken. The paper examines these metaphors with the view of understanding how the proverbs formulated within the chicken metaphor trajectory are used in the construction, circulation, and maintenance of perceptions of femininity in Swahili society. It also explores how the chicken attributes are appropriated to make reference to women either positively or negatively. This paper is premised on selected tenets of the feminist literary theory so as to enable an insightful examination of the societal construction of femininity in the selected proverbs.