Beyond Subjugation: Rethinking Power and Female Agency in Mary Karooro Okurut’s Child of a Delegate and "A Virgin for the King"

Abstract

This paper examines Power and Female Agency in Mary Karooro Okurut’s Child of a Delegate and “A Virgin for the King”. The paper explores how the author depicts women’s ability to stand up for their own interests in a male-dominated Ugandan society. The study aims to deepen understanding of the narrative strategies Okurut employs to advance female agency in her novels. The paper uses feminist and post-colonial approaches to investigate how the characters resist the pressure exerted on them to conform to societal expectations. The analysis demonstrates that, instead of being passive victims of patriarchy, Okurut’s protagonists use subtle forms of resistance to negotiate power relations and gain some degree of agency. They go beyond their socially constructed roles and acquire a form of liberation that is self-driven and stems from their viewing of themselves as subjects, not objects. The research thus ultimately focuses on how Okurut’s writing provides a new perspective on female agency in Ugandan fiction.