The representation of patriarchy and machismo in contemporary equatorial guinean literature: analysis of the novel Ebihi Nga Mbot (a wife's cry) by isabel mikue rope

African Literature

Abstract

This article analyzes the representation of patriarchy and machismo in contemporary Equatorial Guinean literature, using Isabel Mikue Rope's novel Ebihi Nga Mbot (A Wife's Cry) as a case study. The context is Equatorial Guinea, the only Spanish-speaking African country, where written literature has traditionally been dominated by male voices and themes such as colonialism and dictatorship, relegating gender and feminism issues until recently. Feminist narrative emerged with María Nsue Angüe's novel Ekomo (1985) and was consolidated by "third wave" authors such as Isabel Mikue Rope. The purpose of this study is to examine how the novel reflects and denounces patriarchal and machismo structures within Equatorial Guinean Fang society. The focus is on analyzing the characters and the narrative to make gender inequalities and male power dynamics visible. Methodologically, the work is based on a critical literary analysis from a feminist perspective, drawing on previous theories and studies on African feminism and Equatorial Guinean literature. The analysis shows that Ebihi Nga Mbot exposes patriarchy as a deeply rooted social system that legitimizes gender violence, polygamy, and female subordination, while also revealing the complexity and contradictions in women's lives, especially through the protagonist Chabeli. In conclusion, the novel contributes to an epistemic shift in the understanding of African feminism, promoting social critique from the perspective of Equatorial Guinean culture and contributing to a discourse of female emancipation.