Abstract:
Characterization in a work of art comprises the persons through
whom the writer speaks to his audience. Characters play a vital role
in literature as they control the plot of the story, bring out themes
and arouse and sustain interest. Forster (1972) asserts that the
importance of characterization is anchored on the fact that a writer is
able to appeal to the intelligence and imagination of the reader. This
paper examines six myths of origin from the Tigania Community.
These myths are: The Origin of Death, Red-Thigh Woman, (Ngirani),
Domestication of Animals, 'Gichiaro', Naming Patterns and Rain and
Thunderstorms. These reveal the deep-rooted cultural subversion of
the female gender and there seems no hope of unwarping the
woman from the intricate web that culture has constructed for her.
Characterization and style have been artistically interwoven in the
creation of the myths. Chapman (1973) stipulates that in a literary
work, language is conscious in formation and that it is a medium not
only for communication or expression but for effect. This paper
exposes a myriad of challenges assailing the female gender in the
Tigania Community, whose patrilineal set up is deeply entrenched,
this woman had desperately resigned to her fate.
