From a habit to a husband : representation of the intersection between religion and masculinities in John Ruganda’s play, The Burdens (1972)

Abstract

This paper examines how John Ruganda represents the intersection between religion and masculinities in his play, The Burdens (1972), which imagines an ex-Catholic nun marrying and bringing up a family. It argues that literary texts are an important avenue through which the intersection between religion and gender can be explored, leading to a rich harvest of nuanced insights. Data is collected through a close reading of the play under analysis, within the socio-political context in which it was written and produced, that is, the politically turbulent decade following Uganda’s flag independence in 1962, characterised – among others – by events like the abolition of kingdoms by the Prime Minister, Milton Obote, and his ouster in a military coup by his army commander, General Idi Amin, on 25 January, 1971. The analysis of the text is guided by insights drawn from selected scholars of masculinities featured in Helen Nabasuta Mugambi and Tuzyline Jita Allan’s edited volume, entitled Masculinities in African and Cultural Texts (2010).