WHEN CULTURE KILLS: PATRIARCHY, BRIDE PRICE AND TRAGIC WOMANHOOD IN ZULU SOFOLA’S WEDLOCK OF THE GODS

Abstract

These researchers examine the complex interplay between patriarchy, cultural tradition and the female experience in Zulu Sofola’s Wedlock of the Gods. Grounded in African feminist theory, this study will interrogate how practices such as bride price and forced marriages serve as tools of control that restrict women’s autonomy and reinforce practical authority. Through a critical literary analysis of the text, this paper will highlight how cultural expectations not only suppress the desires of women but also contribute to tragic outcomes when those expectations are resisted. The central character’s fate is read as a symbol of the broader struggles faced by women trapped within rigid social structures that privilege, obedience and male dominance over individual choice and emotional fulfilment. By exposing the tensions between cultural loyalty and personal freedom, this study argues that Zulu Sofola challenges the romanticization of tradition and instead reveals its capacity to inflict psychological, emotional and even fatal harm on women. This research will ultimately contribute to ongoing scholarly discussions around gender, power and cultural reform in African societies. This researcher employs the content analysis approach to qualitative research.