ABSTRACT

This paper engages in the interpretation of questions of gender and domination as it relates to peace and conflict with particular reference to Bole Butake’s play Lake God. Through content analysis, the paper focuses on how women construct power in the imaginary society of Butake’s writing, by challenging the forces of oppression and domination in their society, and how in turn, power is constructed through them. Through an interdisciplinary theoretical framework (Feminism and New Historicism), this paper x-rays how Butake draws inspiration from historical events to create imaginary strong-willed and determined female characters in a male dominated society. In conclusion, the paper finds out that despite the women domination in various spheres (cultural, political, and economical), these women still brave the odds to chart better ways of surviving in a patriarchal society. The paper therefore suggests that the “woman question” should be given a prominent place in literary discourse. Lake God therefore seeks to promote an active, as opposed to a passive, brand of womanhood thus challenging the forces of gender oppression and domination in her society and the world at large.