The Role of Women in Blossoms of the Savannah Anonymous 12th Grade

H.R Ole Kulet’s Blossoms of the Savannah is set in a patriarchal society where women live in the shadows of men. Women in Nasila are expected to get married and bear children. In chapter three Kulet, explains that Mama Milanoi was married to fulfill the requirements of her culture, and she wanted have a man that will take care of her and her kids. Women look up to their husbands to protect them; women trust the decisions that their husbands make on behalf of their families. Therefore, childbearing and getting married are central roles that define women in Nasila. Blossoms of the Savannah dissects the women’s subordinate role in Nasila.

Women are not expected to resist being married through arranged negotiations involving their parents. For example, Milanoi did not resist her marriage to Ole Kaelo because tradition required women to accept offers of marriage. In other words, Mama Milanoi's only option was to marry Ole Kaelo because he had impressed her parents. The arranged marriages result in the women dependency on their husbands for the rest of their lives. Notably, after returning to Nasila some of the women that visited Ole Kaelo’s family came with the intention of finding out whether Resian and Taiyo were suitable to marry...