African Literature (Essay Sample)

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Explanation of African Literature
Introduction
Literature that comes from any part of the world has been said to be the product of people’s intellectual and imaginative activity. This involves the use of words and images to represent the tensions, aspirations, fears and contradictions that lie at the heart of the community’s sense of identity. This process of self representation through literature must therefore be seen as being conditioned by historical and social forces that include the cultural, political and economic experiences. Such issues are the ones that precipitate the literature of a community according Chinua Achebe’s "These Are the Burning Issues of the Day." We can therefore argue that African literature must address itself to such issues and that any criticism on African literature must evaluate how these values are dealt with. The issue of defining African literature has been complex especially when we view the differences between various geographical locations, that is, literature from North Africa, East Africa, South Africa and West Africa. But what really is African literature? With these standards, it is important first and foremost to define who an African writer is and secondly agree on what can be considered as African literature.
According to Chinueize, "African literature is that literature written by the by the African, for the African and about Africa." Chinueize failed to address the part that the writer has no control of the reading of his text. However, he succeeded in raising the debate on whether we should accept any literature on Africa but which is written by non Africans. Chinueize greatest fear is informed by the possibility of misrepresentation. Nevertheless, African literature should be understood to mean that literature which is very accurate in very accurate terms reflects the African consciousness and sensibility.
According to Nadine Gordimer, "African literature is writing done in any language by African themselves or by others of whatever skin colour and who share with Africans the experience of having being shaped mentally or spiritually by the experience of Africa and not any other part of the world." Ngugi and other critics of African literature argue that African languages are the only ones that can effectively represent African conscience an argument that is countered by the feeling that Africa has three phases; traditional African heritage, Islamic heritage and colonial and post colonial heritage. These arguments bring the complexities that emerge when we try to define African literature.
Distinguishing between traditional and modern African literature is another area than has proved to be a headache among many scholars. Traditional African literature also known as oral literature exists in the modern literature in one way or the other. Story telling was one of the core components of traditional African literature which has been imported into the works of most modern African writers. For instance "The book of Scorpions" by Jose Eduardo which is a modern literature material adopts the art of storytelling where the story is narrated by a lizard. Complexities however arise because mostly because modern African literature came to be as a result of the educational systems that had be set up by the European colonialists. African traditions however played a significant part in influencing the modern African literature. Such is the case with the "The Journey of Ibn Fattouma" which the story teller takes her audience to imaginary cities. Traditional African literature was unique in the sense that it inspired the masses through riddles, songs, and storytelling aspects which authors of modern literature have incorporated in their works.
Themes of Change and Communal disintegration in Chinua’s Things Fall Apart and Soyinka’s Death and The King Horseman
Before the colonialists arrived, Africans embraced communal living. However, after their arrival everything changed. Themes of change and communal disintegration are constant in both Achebe’s things fall apart and Soyinka’s Death and the Kings Horseman. They both address the position African cultures found themselves in after the arrival of colonialist. Both works have a different perspective towards the themes of change and communal disintegration. Both themes are addressed within the context of cultural traditions.
Things fall apart brings out a story of a culture that cannot hold itself in the face of apparent changes. Chinua deals with how the idea of change affected the community and the life of okwonkwo a man who was so eager to change so that he does not turn out to be like his father Unoka. However, in things fall apart Okwonkwo is the one who resists the changes that were unfolding. He vehemently resisted anything to do with Christianity and the new political masters feeling that the church and political orders were not manly enough. Okwonkwo was individualistic and he felt that with the current changes he stood to lose his societal status which he had worked so hard to gain. The villagers on the other hand were caught up between embracing and rejecting the new changes that that were being introduced by the colonialists. Initially the villagers held a general decision about things. The dilemma on whether to adopt the new changes placed the whole community at crossroads with the villagers admiring the colonialists. Those who r...