E - E - 405 - D : African Literature

Paper Name     : A Brief overview of the African literature with the reference of three novel

Name                : Amita C. Jani

Roll No.             : 10

Semester         : IV

Topic                 : A Brief overview of the African literature with the reference of three novel

Date                  : 22/10/2011

Submitted to   : Dr.Dilip Barad

                             Department of English,

                             Bhavnagar University

1) Waiting for the Barbarians.

               - J. M. Coetzee.

2) Things Fall Apart.

               - China Achebe.

3) Grain of Wheat.

               - Ngugi Wa Thiog’o.

          Above three novel of African literature one or the another way represents the culture of the African literature. The fiction novel waiting for the Barbarian is a postcolonial discourse and writer create a fictional empire in the novel and in which the allegorical war presented between oppressor and oppressed where Barbarian girl stands for the oppressed and the magistrate stands for oppressor and here the young Barbarian girl and magistrate reveals a central theme of the novel.

          Another theme of the novel is Barbarism symbolical used for the  uncivilized people where as the another character stands for the civilized. The difference between self and other is also core of the novel so the all book is about the unfolding strategy of whole fictional empire and that symbolize that how one takes over the other and what can be strategy to power over other?

          The second novel, Things Fall Apart which is one of the most celebrated novel by African people. In which Chine Achebe create a whole image of African people, He shows the image of uncivilized people, people are presented as tribal in the novel, people are presented as they are living primitive life in jungle and in this way presenting true image of African from their culture to their food, name, festival, Achebe presents this text as idea of subverted the early image of African culture and Things Fall Apart is a cultural specific book that shows they have their own system or life style and thus is how the cultural image about African people fall down.

          Third book A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi Wa Thiog’o which again give the general estimate of African literature. The novel is all about the Kenyan freedom movement or independence movement. Novel shows that “Mau-mau” fight for independence and the colonialist crackdown. so by this the issue of loyalty is discussed and examined in the depth. Because there is a short description on the back cover that farmer Mugo, a hero of the village, is asked to make a speech honoring the memory of his friend Kihika who was hanged by colonial administrators so in this novel each character has their own unique history. But the interesting thing is that novel is about individual and social good.

          In conclusion, by presenting above three novel African writer provide us the complete one picture of African culture and the image of independence movement of their country.