Reflective blog

This quote resonates with gender roles in today’s society. Women are expected to be submissive and their main role in a marriage is seen as that of bearing children and being a home-maker. Our society is largely patriarchal and any attempt by a woman to better herself is seen as a threat to the status quo. Abel was threatened by Patricia’s determination to be independent and stand on her own, which is seen in his attempts to undermine her works and the physical violence inflicted on her.

A study conducted in 2022, in South Africa revealed that 40% of South African men believe a wife must prioritise family over personal ambitions. This reflects a disconnect as more women are getting empowered and desire to lead independent lives, while most men are still stuck in the notion that a woman’s place is in the kitchen.

Abel’s desire to cage Patricia is a literal attempt to confine and own her. Patricia's refusal to be caged is seen in her decision to leave him despite the cultural stigma.

Over 40% of women in Kenya have experienced intimate partner violence, and there were 170 femicide cases in Kenya in 2024. All of these grim statistics are desperate attempts by weak partners like Abel to cage their wives. Patricia’s escape from the cage that Abel was trying to confine her in offers hope to women stuck in toxic relationships that there is still a way out.

Today, women are becoming vocal and rejecting subservience as observed from movements like #totalShutdown in South Africa and #endFemicideKe in Kenya which protest against gender based violence and patriarchal norms. .