Silent Cries in Homes: Unveiling Marital Physical Violence in Ugandan Short Narratives

This study examines the portrayal of physical marital violence in Ejiet’s story, ‘Evelyn Likiya’, and Okurut’s story, ‘The Reward’. Using a qualitative textual analysis method, the study examines how the selected writers use the short story genre to expose the hidden realities of domestic violence. Short stories, due to their brevity and intensity, capture the immediacy of victims’ suffering while simultaneously critiquing the cultural and social norms that normalise violence in marriage. Also, the study examines how the writers use narrative techniques such as symbolism, characterisation, and dialogue to unveil the lived realities of victims and question the power imbalances, fear, and silence that sustain abuse within marital relationships. The study applies the masculinity theory to highlight the connection between patriarchy, silence, and cultural norms that normalise domestic violence and to imagine how gender relations might unfold in the absence of patriarchal structures. Findings reveal that short stories serve as a reflection of lived realities, agents for awareness against domestic violence, and vehicles of resistance and social change. The study underscores the role of literature in challenging oppressive practices and giving voice to silenced victims of marital violence