Issues in Modern African Literature
Chapter One
Aim and Objectives
The aim of this study is to examine all issues in every literary work. Specifically, the study objectives include the following;
- to examine the Igbo Folklore of cultural matrix with reference to the creative works of Chinua Acbebe
- to evaluate male and female conflict as themes with reference to the works of Mariama Ba and Chiamanda Ngozi Adichie
- to analyze the hybridity of modern African Drama with reference to the works of Wole Soyinka and Sam Ukala
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter deals with the review of previous literatures on the issues of modern African literatures. Hence, this is discussed under the following sub-headings;
- Concept of Literature
- African Literature and HistoricalExperiences
- Modern African Literature
- Generations of Modern Africa Literature
- Issues in Modern African Literature
Concept of Literature
The word ‘Literature’ is a discipline that attempts to depict man and his environment within a creative mode. The creative imagination and the use of specialized form of communication medium-language and style make literature different form all other disciplines (Bayo Ogunjimi (2003:1). Hackman and Mitchell (1990:1) argued that the earliest and supposedly ‘broadest’ definition of literature as “anything written” does not utterly give an objective and explicit definition of literature because “a shopping list” cannot be termed a literary work. Hence, literature reflects the value system and the expectations of the society from which it springs.
Literature could be seen as: “written material such as poetry, novels, short stories, essays etc, especially works of imagination characterized by excellence of styles and expression and by general or enduring interest (Soile, 1998). Literature has an immense value and can play a very significant and formidable role in scholarship and further intellectual development of the entire world. Apart from being a tool for Linguistic development, it is also an asset in building mankind up morally and in erecting intellectual bridges, thus making mankind wiser and better citizens of the world (Anaso, 2006).
Literatures across ages and continents have functioned as the embodiment and interpreter of a peoples’ culture, a conveyor of a people’s language as well as their philosophy, politics, psychology and national character. Literature is an expression of people’s consciousness in social situations is as old as man himself. From this perspective, African literature too can be described as old as the African people themselves. In the African context, this consciousness expressed in language formerly existed in oral form. Some of the oral texts now exist in written forms. These written forms and those that still exist in unwritten forms constitute the oral literature of the African people.
One of the distinctive characteristics of oral literature is that “it is a collective experience of a people expressed collectively” (Ogude 1983:1). It is a kind of literature the composition of which is inspired by situations and to which no single person can claim authorship. In the literature created for reading, there is always an author. This can be a novelist or a poet who “works with a particular literary tradition” and grapples with “the problems of his society from personal understanding of such problems” (Ibid).
According to Ibrahim B.F. and Akande F.F (2000:3) Literature is also a librating force that frees us from the inherent shackles placed upon us by society and it is categorized into three (3) generic forms of drama prose and poetry. This implies that literature deliberately aims at re-creating the human society via the exposition of human experiences, religious beliefs and socio-cultural motifs of that society within the imaginative framework of arts.
African Literature and Historical Experiences
Literature in Africa has traditionally played a transformative role in society. The African experience of literature dates back to the pristine age of man and equally precedes the literature of some European countries. P.O. Dada (2003, 36) maintains that “African literature refers to works done for the African audience, by Africans and in African languages whether these works are oral or written”. The definition of Dada seconds and re-affirms the earlier definition posited by Chinweizu et al (1980, 56). Ajadi, (2003:119) supporting the definition of Dada, maintains that “African literature presupposes the existence of the ancient African literary tradition”.
CHAPTER THREE
GENDER CONFLICT IN MODERN AFRICAN LITERATURE
Introduction
This chapter dwells on the analysis two selected works of African women writers Mariama Ba’s So long a Letter and Chiamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus with a view to bringing out the issues of gender identity as thematically presented in the two novels. The authors explored how African women writers to show the male and female conflict in modern African literatures.
In this present modern society, it is noted that women writers world over, use their works to expose the ills of patriarchy to womanhood thereby raising gender consciousness in the people. African women writers are particularly noted for this since the African society generally is gender bias. African male writers project this image of inferiority of African woman. This image, the woman writer tries to correct by exposing the experiences of the woman through their works in such a society.
Women writers have emerged at the forefront of the movement to restore African women to their proper place in the study of African history, society, and culture. Hence, this chapter seeks to analyze two novels Mariama Ba and Chiamanda Ngozi Adichie to reveal themes such as; marginalization, polygamy, Gender discrimination, exploitation, African male autocracy and infidelity.
CHAPTER FOUR
IGBO FOLKLORE IN CHINUA ACHEBE’S Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God
Introduction
In examining the Igbo Folklore of Cultural Matrix, two different creative works of Chinua Acbebe titled; ‘Things Fall Apart’ and ‘Arrow of God’ were explored. These cultural cues serve as directory to the understanding of the Igbo nation, as most of them connote deep cultural implications that cannot otherwise be explicated. The text Arrow of God captured the communal life of the Igbo existence. Arrow of God can be said to be a cultural narration of the Igbo world of the colonial epoch. It captures all the aspects of the lives of the people, their communality, their differences, life, pattern of existence and death. One significant life of the people captured in the novel is their communality. However, one can easily be marooned in the thick woods of deep cultural observances, especially if one is not familiar with the cultural milieu.
CHAPTER FIVE
HYBRIDITY IN MODERN AFRICAN DRAMA USING WOLE SOYINKA’S Death and the King’s Horseman and SAM UKALA’S Iredi War
Introduction
To analyze the hybridity of modern African Drama two different texts was adopted; the works of Sam Ukala titled ‘Iredi War’ and Wole Soyinka titled; ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’. The first novel titled ‘Iredi War’ is a folkist play that describes the history, culture and concerns of the folk and to compose and perform them in accordance with African conventions of folktale. The story is a set is based on the history of the people of Owa and Agbor in Ika North East LGA of Delta State as well as Asaba in Oshimili LGA of Delta State.
The second novel Death and the King’s Horseman by Akinwale Oluwole Soyinka has a literary insight which represents an attempt to confront on a creative level the arrogance and cultural chauvinism of the Western imperialism. Through Death and the King’s Horseman Soyinka avers the fact that whatever the colonialists have wished or done, in these colonized societies, which were rich with indigenous cultures, the cultural identity was not lost; on the other hand it has served as a potent weapon in their struggle for liberation. Through the novel Death and the King’s Horseman Soyinka avers the fact that whatever the colonialists have wished or done, in these colonized societies, which were rich with indigenous cultures, the cultural identity was not lost; on the other hand it has served as a potent weapon in their struggle for liberation. Soyinka’s literary concerns have remained the reoccurring cultural conflict between the African world view and that of Europe, religious concerns as well as the salient socio-political issues and challenges of the African race and communities.
CHAPTER SIX
CONCLUSION
This research has been able to establish some issues relating modern African literatures using some selected text such as; the Igbo Folklore in Chinua Acbebe’s; Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God. It examined male and female conflict as themes in Mariama Ba’s; So long a Letter and Chiamanda Ngozi Adichie’s; Purple Hibiscus as well as the hybridity of modern African Drama in Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman and Sam Ukala’s Iredi War. Chapter one introduced us to the general background for this study, giving us the purpose, justification, scope and delimitation of the study. It also covered the author’s biography. Chapter two dwelt extensive on the review of literature related to this study. At this juncture, a critical evaluation was done on the archetype theory.
Chapter three investigated gender conflict as themes using the text by Mariama Ba titled ‘So long a Letter’ and the texts by Chiamanda Ngozi Adichie titled; ‘Purple Hibiscus’. The novel ‘So long a Letter’ explored gender relations, power and inequality, women’s struggle for education, and how these issues were framed by African and religious beliefs while Purple Hibiscus is a novel set in postcolonial Nigeria, a country beset by political instability and economic difficulties.
Chapter four discussed the Igbo Folklore of Cultural Matrix using two different creative works of Chinua Acbebe titled; ‘Things Fall Apart’ and ‘Arrow of God’ were explored. According to the novels the cultural cues serve as directory to the understanding of the Igbo nation, as most of them connote deep cultural implications that cannot otherwise be explicated. The text Arrow of God captured the communal life of the Igbo existence. Meanwhile, Things Fall Apart captures some deep cultural behaviours like human sacrifice, inter- communal wars, display of magical powers and blood-letting attitudes.
Consequently, chapter five analyzed the hybridity of modern African Drama two different texts was adopted; the works of Sam Ukala titled ‘Iredi War’ and Wole Soyinka titled; ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’ . The first novel titled ‘Iredi War’ is a folkist play that describes the history, culture and concerns of the folk and to compose and perform them in accordance with African conventions of folktale. While, Death and the King’s Horseman has a literary insight which represents an attempt to confront on a creative level the arrogance and cultural chauvinism of the Western imperialism. Through Death and the King’s Horseman Soyinka avers the fact that whatever the colonialists have wished or done, in these colonized societies, which were rich with indigenous cultures, the cultural identity was not lost; on the other hand it has served as a potent weapon in their struggle for liberation.
In conclusion, it can said that African literature is equally very distinct in all ramifications and can always be separated from the literatures of other continents judging by its language aesthetics and styles of writing. The language of African literature is decorated with the use of proverbs, riddles, tongue twisters, folktales and folklores. These language aesthetics, culture and identity are not found in the literatures of other continents because they are peculiar to the African race. These use of proverbs riddles etc., are the primordial language pattern of African orature, hence they are transferred to the contemporary African written literature. Furthermore, it is evident from this research that certain instruments are used by African writers in their quest to create a racial identity of the African environment.
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