Stereotypical gender roles in "Behold the Dreamers" by Imbolo Mbue: Gender Stereotypes in the African and Western Society

Seminar paper from the year 2021 in the subject German Studies - Comparative Literature, grade: 1, University of Innsbruck, language: English, abstract: In this paper, the concept of stereotypes is explained first before going more into detail on African men's and women's identity and gender roles as well as the western view on this topic. In the second part of the paper, gender stereotypes in African and Western societies in the novel "Behold the Dreamers" are analyzed. One of the most prevalent forms of stereotype is gender stereotyping. Gender stereotypes differ in all parts of the world. Thus, gender stereotypes in a Western setting differs widely from that in an African setting, where women are seen as homemakers and responsible for household chores and men are seen as the head of the family, providing for them. These stereotypes can be clearly seen in the novel, "Behold the Dreamers" by Imbolo Mbue, which distinguishes between these two settings by representing the African culture in the Western setting and by drawing a clear contrast between these cultures to reinforce, as well as debunk developed stereotypes.