African-ness in African writings

Résumé du document

After the independence in Africa, an emergence of waves of African writers is noticed. Throughout that emergence, different concerns manifest themselves ranging from the assimilationist vision of the colonial supremacy to the rejection and deconstruction of that power. The advocators of the latter option developed in their writings themes that are mainly related to African cultural and historical rehabilitation.

In fact, through the postcolonial theory, writers aim at deconstructing white hegemony in the literary field. That domination is a result of many years of colonisation and oppression. In addition, white people consider that African history starts with their coming in the continent and that, African cultures as barbaric and savage.

Thus, in their writings, Africans committed themselves to reveal their true identity, liberated from all western preconceptions. In this sense, they focus on themes that convey their African-ness, besides the distinctive form they make use of to strengthen their ideology.

Extraits

[...] That legacy from the oral tradition in Africa serves for specific purposes for some African writers. Things Fall Apart exemplifies that issue. Along side with language, the shape of works of art is a target of writers' expression of their African-ness. Taking for example the constituents of a piece of drama in African literature, it is common to find aspects that originate from the traditional composition of a type of theatre in Africa. Femi Osofisan's Tegoni can serve for the purpose. [...]

[...] Armah's Osiris Rising is symbolic. In effect, the novel deals with the Osiris/Isis myth of Ancient Egypt. Through it, Armah suggests a return to the traditional African sources, not only to confirm the richness of African history to the world wide, but at the same time for Africans to know about themselves and better act in the present days, in order to prepare the future. His depiction of characters like Tete, Ast, and Asar reminds the reader of the Egyptian mythology and shows Armah's stance as far as the definition of his identity is concerned. [...]

[...] 1995). Excerpt pp. 43-66. WA Thiong'o, Ngugi. A Grain of Wheat. London: Heinemann Decolonising the mind. Portsmouth: Heinemann Tejumola Olaniyan. Scars and Conquest/Masks of Resistance. The invention of Cultural Identities in African, African-American and Caribbean Drama. (New York: Oxford University Press. 1995). Excerpt pp. 43-66. Carole Boyce Davies. [...]

[...] Actually, the issue of language in African literature is topical. As far as the novelistic trend is concerned, African writers extol the use of African languages or Africanised English. Writers such as Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o are the most outspoken radical proponents of that trend. For him, a total rejection of the coloniser languages is necessary for an efficient decolonisation of the mind of the colonised. In his collection of essays Decolonising the Mind, he marks a break with the use of English in his writings. [...]

[...] Ngambika: Studies of Women in African Literature (Trenton African World Press, 1986) p. Ngugi wa Thiong'o, A Grain of Wheat (London: Heinemann, 1967) pp.10- 11. Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Decolonising the mind (Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1986) p15-16. Chinua Achebe, African writer and the English Language” in Morning Yet on Creation Day9:;IJL M ? Ž ­hË.ÈhTkZCJOJ[6]QJ[7]^J[8]mH sH 4jhË.ÈhTkZ0JCJH*OJ[9]QJ[10]U ^J[11]mH sH hË.ÈhTkZOJ[12]QJ[13]^J[14]mH sH hË.ÈOJ[15]QJ[16]^J[17]mH sH *h3¹hË.È (London: Heinemann pp. 55-62) p.62. [...]