This paper examines the representation of female figures in Ousmane Sembène's novel Xala (1973) through the prism of sociocriticism and relativized functionalism. The analysis demonstrates how the Senegalese author constructs a system of female characters oscillating between social conformism and critical resistance. By juxtaposing three wives of distinct social positions like N'Goné, Oumi N'Doye, and young N'Goné, alongside the rebellious daughter Rama, Sembène exposes the inherent contradictions of postcolonial Senegalese society. The apparent submission of women masks a critical lucidity that manifests differently according to their positioning within the social structure. This study mobilizes sociocritical theories to reveal how the literary text functions as mediation between socioeconomic structures and ideological representations of gender.