Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is one purpose of oral literature in African culture?
What is one purpose of oral literature in African culture?
What major event contributed to the early development of written literature in Sub-Saharan Africa?
What major event contributed to the early development of written literature in Sub-Saharan Africa?
During which stage of African literature did slave narratives begin to gain attention in the West?
During which stage of African literature did slave narratives begin to gain attention in the West?
What term describes the forced dispersal of millions of Africans to Western countries?
What term describes the forced dispersal of millions of Africans to Western countries?
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What aspect of colonial literature did African writers often respond to in their writings?
What aspect of colonial literature did African writers often respond to in their writings?
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Which of the following best describes the themes found in the slave narratives known from the colonial period?
Which of the following best describes the themes found in the slave narratives known from the colonial period?
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What role did newspapers play for African writers in the early 19th century?
What role did newspapers play for African writers in the early 19th century?
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What was a significant shift observed in African literature after World War II?
What was a significant shift observed in African literature after World War II?
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What is one of the main goals of postcolonial African writers?
What is one of the main goals of postcolonial African writers?
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How has African literature changed since the independence of most African nations in the 1950s and 1960s?
How has African literature changed since the independence of most African nations in the 1950s and 1960s?
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Which of the following themes is commonly shared by African writers during the postcolonial period?
Which of the following themes is commonly shared by African writers during the postcolonial period?
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What is a notable work by Chinua Achebe that rewrites African history?
What is a notable work by Chinua Achebe that rewrites African history?
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Why did Achebe write 'Things Fall Apart'?
Why did Achebe write 'Things Fall Apart'?
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What criticism did Achebe have regarding the depiction of Africans in European literature?
What criticism did Achebe have regarding the depiction of Africans in European literature?
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Which statement accurately reflects the role of African literature in contemporary discussions?
Which statement accurately reflects the role of African literature in contemporary discussions?
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What languages did postcolonial African writers use in their work?
What languages did postcolonial African writers use in their work?
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Study Notes
African Literature
- African literature exists in oral and written forms.
- Oral literature includes stories, dramas, riddles, histories, myths, songs, proverbs and other expressions.
- Oral traditions serve to educate and entertain children and remind communities of their ancestors, past and customs.
African Written Literature
- Pre-colonial African literature developed in the 19th and early 20th centuries due to missionaries coming to Africa.
- Missionaries built churches and language schools to translate religious texts, leading to Africans writing in European and indigenous languages.
Colonial African Literature
- Colonialism led to slavery, with millions of Africans enslaved and transported to Western countries from the 16th to 19th centuries.
- This forced migration of African people to the West is known as the African Diaspora.
- The most prominent works from this period are narratives about slavery.
- African writers began using newspapers to express nationalist feelings during the early 19th century.
- African poetry denounced colonialism and asserted the validity of African cultures.
- With increased calls for independence after World War II, more African writers were published, including Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe in Western Africa, and Ngugi wa Thiong’o in Eastern Africa.
Post-colonial African Literature
- Post-colonial African writers focus on rewriting and restructuring the history and culture of colonized peoples. This serves as resistance and allows for the development of a national literature.
- African literature experienced a significant growth in quantity and recognition after most African nations gained independence in the 1950s and 1960s.
- African writers during this period wrote in Western languages (English, French, Portuguese) and traditional African languages (Hausa).
- Common themes include the clash between indigenous and colonial cultures, condemnation of European subjugation, pride in the African past, and hope for a future independent continent.
- Things Fall Apart (1958) by Chinua Achebe is considered one of the most significant African novels of the 20th century.
- Achebe aims to rewrite African history and culture to preserve African heritage in response to imperial constructs of the land and its people.
- Things Fall Apart expresses Achebe's early anti-colonial sentiments and his desire to use literature to challenge Western biases.
- Achebe's goal was to present a complex and dynamic African society to a Western audience who perceived it as primitive, simple, and backward.
- Achebe critiques European portrayals of Africa as a dark place inhabited by primitive people.
- Achebe criticizes European literature for silencing African voices, considering their presence equivalent to absence.
- Achebe aimed to represent the African self instead of being represented by others and to eliminate the absence of the African voice.
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