Analysis of Swinging Away the Hunger - Book Report/Review Example

This is through the narration of one African woman who witnessed it all and was brave enough to speak and write about it.  

African Woman

            In many areas all over Africa, the African woman is the most underprivileged. This is a result of what she had to go through to get the basic amenities. The terrain around Africa was and is very harsh. It was difficult to get food, shelter, and clothing. It was even harder for a woman to get access to these basic amenities. This was not pegged on the fact that they were scarce, mostly it was because if they were available, the men came first. In the book, the author narrates that she had to wear tatters, walk barefoot and suffer in abject poverty as she was growing up. The autobiography shows that there was a day that she was so hungry that she ate grass. This autobiography is a representation of what life is like in the rural parts of the African communities (Nthunya, p 77).

Tradition

            There are so many aspects of negative tradition that are highlighted in the book. The issue of bride price, early marriages, and wife inheritance is represented in the autobiography. This is because they are some of the factors that have ensured that Africa as a continent has remained culturally submerged in divisive tradition. By speaking about the struggles that she went through, the author is creating awareness (Nthunya, p 91). This awareness is for the many women who have not gone through this every day. It is also for the thousands out there who do not take the time to understand the effects of the retrogressive tradition that is experienced in the African setting.

Struggles of the Black Woman in Africa

            There are so many factors that hinder the success of African women. They have limited chances at acquiring decent education, they are plagued with traditional aspects of the environment that they live in, and they are constantly forced into rituals that have no positive impact on them. What can be observed is that despite what the African women go through, the struggles define the path that they take with their lives. This is with respect to the choices that they make and how they affect them and their families. African women are observed to be very integral and formidable (Nthunya, p 124). This is the case of the author. She is a representation of the many women in the African setting that have gone through problems. The problems have created avenues for women to rise up and be the best that they can be. This is by emerging from the ashes to be vocal connections to the political, cultural, and economic aspects in their continent. This is for the very many others like them who do not have the voice to represent themselves (Nthunya, p 139).