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21st Century
Literature from the
Philippines and the
World

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

 st
21 Century
Literature from
the Philippines
and the World
Quarter 2 - Module 2
Literature Around the World

This instructional material was collaboratively developed and reviewed

by educators from public and private schools, colleges, and or/universities. We
encourage teachers and other education stakeholders to email their feedback,
comments, and recommendations to the Department of Education at action@
deped.gov.ph.

We value your feedback and recommendations.

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

 Lesson

11 African Literature
Grade 12, First Semester, Q2 – Week 3

What I Need to Know

Congratulations! You are now in Lesson 4 of this module. It is time for us to visit
another continent. This time let’s go to Africa known to be “The Cradle of Humankind.”

In this Lesson, you are going to:

a. Identify representative texts and authors from Asia, North America,

Europe, Latin America, and Africa; (EN12Lit-IIa-22)
b. Compare and contrast the various 21st century literary genres and
their elements, structures, and traditions from across the globe
(EN12Lit-IId-25)
c. Do self- and/or peer-assessment of the creative adaptation of a
literary text, based on rationalized criteria, prior to presentation.
(EN12Lit-IIij-31.3)

What I Know
Let’s review the elements of a story. Identify the element being
described. Choose your answer from the word bank below.

exposition climax setting theme

rising action conflict mood denouement

plot falling action

1. The complication begins to show itself on the ___________________

characters, setting, and events in the story

2. The result of the climax, and it is the part ___________________

when things start falling into place for the characters
3. The locale or period in which the action of ___________________
a story takes place

4. The sequence of series of events in a story ___________________

5. The underlying message that the writer would

like to get across. ___________________

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6. The beginning of the story, wherein the writer ___________________
sets the scene by introducing the characters,
describing the setting, and sometimes will give
a brief background of the story.

7. The event with the greatest tension in the story. ___________________

8. Where the story reaches its final conclusion ___________________

and the writer starts to get ready to tell the ending
by way of explaining a finality to make the story complete.

9. A struggle between two opposing forces ___________________

10. Evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through

words and descriptions ___________________

What’s In
We were able to go around our neighboring countries in Asia. We have
learned a lot from their literature. Our last stop was in Japan. Let’s look back and see
how much do we remember about their literature by answering the activity below.

1. The country which has much influence on Japanese literature was ____________.
2. Japanese literature can be divided into four periods: the ___________,
____________, ___________________, and ________________.
3. Ancient literature in Japan deals primarily with ______________ and __________.
4. The classical literature in Japan occurred during the golden age, the ____________
period.
5. ______________ is considered the world’s first novel.
6. ____________ and ______________ intertwined during the Medieval period due
to the influence of the civil wars and the emergence of the warrior class.
7. The early modern period gave way to the rise of new genres like the Japanese
_____________, _______________, _________________, and _____________.

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 What’s New

Every story has basic components: characters, setting, plot, theme,

conflict. Read Aesop’s fable The Lion and the Mouse, and fill in the story mind map
below. You need to copy the mind map in your LITERATURE ACTIVITY
NOTEBOOK.

The Lion and the Mouse

Once when a Lion was asleep a little Mouse began running up and down upon
him. This soon awakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon the Mouse and
opened his big jaws to swallow him.

“Pardon, O King,” cried the little Mouse, “forgive me this time, I shall never forget
it: and I may be able to do you a favor in the future.” The Lion was so taken at the idea
of the Mouse being able to help him, that he let him go.

Some time after, the Lion was caught in a trap, and the hunters tied him to a
tree. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight of the
Lion, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the
Beasts. “Was I not right?” said the little Mouse.

Story Mind Map

What is it about? Where did it take place?

Title

Who are the characters? When did it happen?

Why did it happen?

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 What Is It

The development of African literature, from its oral tradition up to the current
trends, reflects the history of its people, the continent’s feelings and the minds of its
population.
Having been denied sharing their unique culture to the rest of the world, African
literature takes pride in their identity as a people along with their rich heritage. The
Dark Continent enjoys a vast collection of masterpieces, both in oral and written
literature, which are highly diverse and at the same time common.
The writings on Africa started in the middle ages when Arabic was introduced
to them and then it moved forward in the 1800s with the coming of the alphabet. With
the birth of the Negritude (which literally means ‘blackness’) movement in 1934,
African writers committed to look into their own culture, traditions, and values that can
be applied in the modern world. The drive of writers to write and excite political freedom
grew and the dignity of African traditions has been asserted. The Negritude movement
opened the avenue for writers to celebrate what is truly African.
Though African writers like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Kofi Awoonor, Ngugi
wa Thiong’o, Okot p’Bitek, Dennis Crutus, Es’kia Mphahlele, Nadine Gordimer, and
Jacques Rabemananjara wrote in European language, they nevertheless embodied
the spirit of nationalism. So strong and effective were their works that they gained
worldwide acclaim.
In the aftermath of the colonial experience, African writers have since
chronicled new challenges that have emerged in their respective societies. New,
sovereign governments may have been installed, but their own problems caused
writers to react. This was evident in the case of Ngugi wa Thiong’o, who was
imprisoned for a play considered to have subversive messages against the Kenyan
administration of the time. Corruption in society, a longstanding theme of African
writers in postcolonial times, was reflected in V.Y. Mudimbe’s Before the Birth of the
Moon (1989). (https://www.scribd.com/document/412634387/21st-Century-Literature-of-the-
Philippines-and-of-the-World-1) and Simoun Victor D. Redoblado, (Brilliant Creations Publishing,
Inc., 2017), 108

Even before the colonizers arrived in Africa and indelibly shaped the continent’s
identity, local traditions were already flourishing in terms of cultural wealth. The
following selections, both belonging to the myth genre, attest to the power of the
motherland’s literary tradition that had its roots in ancient times.

The Clever Young Man and the Monster

Tanzania

Once upon a time in East Africa, the monster or ogre Shing’weng’we swallowed
all the people in the world together with all the domestic animals, except one pregnant
woman who hid in a pile of chaff. Later this woman gave birth to a boy named Masala
Kulangwa (whose name means “the smart or clever person who understands quickly”).
When he grew up he asked: “Mother, why are there only the two of us? Where are the
other people?” She answered: “My dear one, everyone else was swallowed by
Shing’weng’we. We two are the only ones left.”
From that day on, the young man started looking for the monster. One day, he
killed a grasshopper and arrived home singing: “Mother, Mother, I have killed

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he killed a grasshopper and arrived home singing: “Mother, Mother, I have killed
Shing’weng’we. Rejoice and shout for joy.” But his mother answered: “My dear one,
this is only a grasshopper, not the monster. Let’s roast him and eat him.”
Another day, he killed a bird and arrived home singing: “Mother, Mother, I have
killed Shing’weng’we up in the hills. Rejoice and shout for joy.” But his mother
answered: “My dear one, this is only a bird, not the monster. Let’s roast it and eat it.”
Another day he killed a small gazelle and arrived home singing: “Mother,
Mother, I have killed Shing’weng’we up in the hills. Rejoice and shout for joy.” But his
mother answered: “My dear one, this is only a small gazelle, not the monster. Let’s
roast it and eat it.”
Another day he killed an antelope and arrived home singing: “Mother, Mother,
I have killed Shing’weng’we up in the hills. Rejoice and shout for joy.” But his mother
answered: “My dear one, this is only an antelope, not the monster. Let’s roast it and
eat it.”
Finally, the clever young man Masala Kulangwa found Shing’weng’we,
overcame him and cut open the monster’s stomach. Out came his father, along with
his relatives and all the other people. But by bad luck, when he split open the monster’s
back, Masala Kulangwa cut off the ear of an old woman. This woman became very
angry and insulted the young man. She tried to bewitch him. But Masala Kulangwa
found medicine and healed the old woman. Then, all the people declared the young
man chief and raised him up in the Chief’s Chair. Masala Kulangwa became the chief
of the whole world and his mother became the Queen Mother.

Rawera (the Comforter) and the Monster

Nairobi, Kenya

A long time ago, the people of Funtu lived happily. They worked hard and
produced much food. They loved each other. The King was kind: everybody loved him.
Meanwhile, there was a woman, Ng’uono, who lived in the village. Because she was
barren, men refused to marry her. Elders forcefully married Ng’uono to Jater, an old
man. Ng’uono and Jater had no friends. Despite being treated badly, they were not
bitter. They humbly accepted their situation.
One day, there was a feast. As usual, Ng’uono and Jater were not invited. From
their home, they heard people singing and shouting joyfully. Suddenly, the music
stopped. Cries of agony filled the air. Curious, Jater and Ng’uono came out. What they
saw frightened them. Creatures bigger than millet granaries, with eyes as big as
cooking pots surrounded the village. These odd-looking beings had hairy bodies, with
claws for toes. Ng’uono and Jater trembled just by looking at them. “These are
monsters. Let us run,” Ng’uono said fearfully. “No. They will reach us in no time and
eat us up,” Jater said. “Come with me,” he said, taking his wife by the hand. They hid
in a hole under a big tree. They could hear people crying as the monsters chased
them. The noise stopped after a long time. “Wait here. I will go and see what is
happening,” Jater said to his wife. “You cannot go out there! You will be killed,”
Ng’uono objected. Jater ignored her and slid out of the hole. There was not a single
person. The monster had flattened all the huts. The crops were all destroyed.
Shocked, Jater stood out there, lost in thought. Back in the hole, Ng’uono was worried
about her husband. Unable to wait any longer, she came out and saw him. “Oh! What
destruction!” she moaned. Walking towards him, she asked, “What shall we do?” “I
don’t know,” Jater replied sadly. They sat under the big tree and soon fell asleep.
Ng’uono was woken up by the cry of a bird perched on her forehead. “Wake up. What
happened?” asked the bird. Sobbing, she told him the story. “Wake up hour husband
and follow me,” the bird commanded. After walking for several days, the bird led them

33
to a valley, green with vegetation, beautiful flowers and clear streams. “This is your
new home. There are crops of all types: harvest them and eat.” After saying this the
bird turned to fly away. “Oh! Before I leave… Ng’uono, take good care of your son.
Bye.” “What are you talking about? I am …” she started but the bird had already flown
away.
Jater and his wife remained standing, unable to understand. Ng’uono gave birth
to a baby boy a few months later. They called him Rawera, the comforter. Rawera
grew up strong and obedient. One afternoon, while he was out hunting, he saw huge
footprints at the edge of the forest. The footprints were bigger than any he had seen
before. Afraid but curious, he followed the footprints. Deeper and deeper he went into
the thick forest. The forest was so dark that he could not find his way through. Tired,
he sat under the nearest tree and fell asleep, his dog beside him. The barking of the
dog woke him. Sleepily, he stood up. And then heard it: a voice stronger than thunder.
It came from deep inside the forest. He could not understand what the voice said.
Soon, there were more voices, equally loud. The earth shook and trees swayed.
Frightened, Rawera ran. Fear, hunger and confusion slowed him tremendously. The
slower he ran, the louder the voices became. Finally, he reached the edge of the forest
and collapsed. He could no longer hear the terrible voices.
He rested for a few minutes and walked home. “Where have you been,” his
mother asked. “Mother, I was just out for hunting,” “Never stay late in the forest: it is
dangerous,” warned his father. He did not tell them what happened. For many days
after, Rawera thought about the voices. He was sure the creatures were not human.
Determmined to find out, he made several poisoned arrows and spears. He hid these
carefully. For many months, he trained his dog and fed it well. His dog, Sibuor, grew
large and fierce. Satisfied with his preparations, Rawera set out at dawn one day. He
took his weapons and told his parents that he was going hunting. At the edge of the
forest, he stopped to eat, rest and feed his dog. Soon after, they entered the forest.
They walked for a long, long time without hearing any sound. Rawera was
disappointed but he walked on. “Stop!” a voiced called from above. He looked up
anxiously but did not see anything and walked on. “I said stop. You will be killed,” the
shrill voice said again. “Who are you and how do you know where I am going?” Rawera
asked. A bird landed on his forehead, scaring him. He jumped to one side, ready to
attack. “Do not kill me. I want to save you,” the bird said, perching on Sibuor’s head.
“The voices you hear the other time belong to monsters. They ate your ancestors. I
am sure your parents told you this. Now, go back home. “Whaaat? Monsters live here?’
Rawera asked. “Believe it: in this forest live many monsters,” the bird confirmed. “You
say these monsters ate my people? How then can you tell me to go back? I will find
and kill them all. Show me where to find them,” Rawera said defiantly. “Well, I have
warned you. Come with me.”
The bird led Rawera and Sibuor further into the forest. “Look over there,” he
said upon reaching a clearing. Rawera trembled at the sight before him: many giants
seated round a big fire. Their bodies were hairy. Smoke escaped from their big noses.
Seeing how frightened Rawera was, the bird said, “I told you. You can fight them, can
you?” “Bu-u-t they killed my people. I must kill them,” Rawera stammered. “Because
you are so determined, I will help you,” said the bird. “When you shoot them, aim for
the palm. Go now.” His dog beside him, Rawera walked into the clearing. The
monsters smelled him may meters away, stood as one and walked to meet him, saliva
pouring from their big mouths. Terrified, Rawera turned back and ran. “Do not run.
Turn back and shoot,” the bird encouraged him.
He turned, took aim and fired his first arrow. One of the monsters swallowed it.
“Shoot at the palm,” the bird shouted. The monsters were approaching fast. Rawera
let go of another arrow. He aimed at the palm and felled one monster. Encouraged,
he shot the monsters rapidly. Only one remained, the biggest of them.

34
 Rawera had only one arrow left. “Wait,” the bird called out. “Let Sibuor go out
and meet him. Then, shoot the monster through the left ear.” Rawera commanded his
dog to attack the monster. As the monster picked Sibuor to swallow him, Rawera shot
him through the left ear. The monster died. “Cut the monster’s big toes,” the bird
ordered Rawera. When he did, all the people who had been eaten by the monsters
came out. They were excited to be back. They thanked Rawera.
They all walked to the valley where Rawera and his parents lived. Jater and
Ng’uono were happy to see all the people of the village. After listening to Rawera’s
story, everybody was proud of him. They made him chief. All villagers then respected
Ng’uono and Jater.(Simoun Victor D. Rodoblaco, Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., 2017, 110-
113)

What’s More
Compare the two African myths to the narrative below. Consider how the
story-telling evolved from the myths of ancient times to the stories of the modern
scene. Analyze the structure, plot, and underlying purpose of the narratives. Copy the
table in your LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

Things Fall Apart (summary)

Chinua Achebe

Okonkwo is a wealthy and respected warrior of the Umuofia clan, a lower

Nigerian tribe that is part of a consortium of nine connected villages. He is haunted by
the actions of Unoka, his cowardly and spendthrift father, who died in disrepute,
leaving many village debts unsettled. In response, Okonkwo became a clansman,
warrior, farmer, and family provider extraordinaire. He has a twelve-year-old son
named Nwoye whom he finds lazy; Okonkwo worries that Nwoye will end up a failure
like Unoka.
In a settlement with a neighboring tribe, Umuofia wins a virgin and a fifteen-year-old
boy. Okonkwo takes charge of the boy, Ikemefuna, and finds an ideal son in him.
Nwoye likewise forms a strong attachment to the newcomer. Despite his fondness for
Ikemefuna and despite the fact that the boy begins to call him “father,” Okonkwo does
not let himself show any affection for him.
During the Week of Peace, Okonkwo accuses his youngest wife, Ojiugo, of
negligence. He severely beats her, breaking the peace of the sacred week. He makes
some sacrifices to show his repentance, but he has shocked his community
irreparably.
Ikemefuna stays with Okonkwo’s family for three years. Nwoye looks up to him
as an older brother and, much to Okonkwo’s pleasure, develops a more masculine
attitude. One day, the locusts come to Umuofia—they will come every year for seven
years before disappearing for another generation. The village excitedly collects them
because they are good to eat when cooked.
Ogbuefi Ezeudu, a respected village elder, informs Okonkwo in private that the
Oracle has said that Ikemefuna must be killed. He tells Okonkwo that because
Ikemefuna calls him “father,” Okonkwo should not take part in the boy’s death.
Okonkwo lies to Ikemefuna, telling him that they must return him to his home village.
Nwoye bursts into tears.

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 As he walks with the men of Umuofia, Ikemefuna thinks about seeing his
mother. After several hours of walking, some of Okonkwo’s clansmen attack the boy
with machetes. Ikemefuna runs to Okonkwo for help. But Okonkwo, who doesn’t wish
to look weak in front of his fellow tribesmen, cuts the boy down despite the Oracle’s
admonishment. When Okonkwo returns home, Nwoye deduces that his friend is dead.
Okonkwo sinks into a depression, neither able to sleep nor eat. He visits his
friend Obierika and begins to feel revived a bit. Okonkwo’s daughter Ezinma falls ill,
but she recovers after Okonkwo gathers leaves for her medicine.
The death of Ogbuefi Ezeudu is announced to the surrounding villages by
means of the ekwe, a musical instrument. Okonkwo feels guilty because the last time
Ezeudu visited him was to warn him against taking part in Ikemefuna’s death. At
Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s large and elaborate funeral, the men beat drums and fire their guns.
Tragedy compounds upon itself when Okonkwo’s gun explodes and kills Ogbuefi
Ezeudu’s sixteen-year-old son.
Because killing a clansman is a crime against the earth goddess, Okonkwo
must take his family into exile for seven years in order to atone. He gathers his most
valuable belongings and takes his family to his mother’s natal village, Mbanta. The
men from Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s quarter burn Okonkwo’s buildings and kill his animals to
cleanse the village of his sin.
Okonkwo’s kinsmen, especially his uncle, Uchendu, receive him warmly. They
help him build a new compound of huts and lend him yam seeds to start a farm.
Although he is bitterly disappointed at his misfortune, Okonkwo reconciles himself to
life in his motherland.
During the second year of Okonkwo’s exile, Obierika brings several bags of
cowries (shells used as currency) that he has made by selling Okonkwo’s yams.
Obierika plans to continue to do so until Okonkwo returns to the village. Obierika also
brings the bad news that Abame, another village, has been destroyed by the white
man.
Soon afterward, six missionaries travel to Mbanta. Through an interpreter
named Mr. Kiaga, the missionaries’ leader, Mr. Brown, speaks to the villagers. He tells
them that their gods are false and that worshipping more than one God is idolatrous.
But the villagers do not understand how the Holy Trinity can be accepted as one God.
Although his aim is to convert the residents of Umuofia to Christianity, Mr. Brown does
not allow his followers to antagonize the clan.
Mr. Brown grows ill and is soon replaced by Reverend James Smith, an
intolerant and strict man. The more zealous converts are relieved to be free of Mr.
Brown’s policy of restraint. One such convert, Enoch, dares to unmask an egwugwu
during the annual ceremony to honor the earth deity, an act equivalent to killing an
ancestral spirit. The next day, the egwugwu burn Enoch’s compound and Reverend
Smith’s church to the ground.
The District Commissioner is upset by the burning of the church and requests
that the leaders of Umuofia meet with him. Once they are gathered, however, the
leaders are handcuffed and thrown in jail, where they suffer insults and physical abuse.
After the prisoners are released, the clansmen hold a meeting, during which
five court messengers approach and order the clansmen to desist. Expecting his fellow
clan members to join him in uprising, Okonkwo kills their leader with his machete.
When the crowd allows the other messengers to escape, Okonkwo realizes that his
clan is not willing to go to war.
When the District Commissioner arrives at Okonkwo’s compound, he finds
that Okonkwo has hanged himself. Obierika and his friends lead the commissioner to
the body. Obierika explains that suicide is a grave sin; thus, according to custom, none
of Okonkwo’s clansmen may touch his body.
(https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/things/summary/)

36
What I Have Learned

Answer the questions. Write your answers in your LITERATURE

ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

The Clever Young Man and Things Fall Apart

the Monster & Rawera (the
Comforter) and the Monster
Structure
Exposition
Rising action
Climax
Falling action
Denouement

Plot

Purpose

1. What is unique about African culture as shown in the myths you’ve read?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. How can you show heroism today? ______________________________

______________________________________________________________

What I Can Do

Your task is to write a critical review of a myth or story found in your

region or hometown. It may be written in English or in other languages. Your review
must be one to two pages long, double-spaced, and with a proper title.

Writing Short Paper

A short paper is literally “short.” It consists of one or two pages of written critique
that will succinctly discuss your idea, realization, or concept regarding a literary
selection. The point here is to introduce your idea or discovery about a literary
selection.

Tips in Writing Short Paper

1. Choose a literary selection that you want to analyse.
2. Always begin with an outline.
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3. Start with a joke, an anecdote, or a quotation from the literary text as your
introduction.(The idea is to hook your readers so that they will be more willing to
listen to your idea).
4. The body of your essay must try to discuss the relation of your idea with the
literary text.
5. The conclusion is just like any conclusion when you are writing an essay –
summarize what you have said or discussed in the body in two to three sentences.

Source: DIWA Senior High School Series, DIWA Learning Systems Inc., 2016, 112-113

Rubric
Criteria Description Score
10 points 7 points 4 points
Outstanding use of Adequate use of Inappropriate use
Accuracy color, design and color, design, and of color, design, and
space; overall space; overall space; lack of
design is pleasing design is mostly harmonious design
and harmonious pleasing and in presentation
harmonious
Cohesion The essay is The essay is The essay is not
cohesive and has moderately cohesive at all and
only one voice. cohesive and has needs further
two or three voices, editing.
which can be
further edited.
Organization The essay is The essay is The essay is not
organized and can moderately organized at all and
be understood organized and needs major
easily. needs some editing. rewriting.

Score /30

Post assessment

Read carefully each statement. Choose the correct answer, and write the letter
of the correct answer in your LITERATURE ACTIVITY NOTEBOOK.

1. This the part of the story where complication begins to show itself on the
characters, setting, and events in the story.
A. exposition B. rising action C. climax D. plot

2. The result of the climax, and it is the part when things start falling into place for the
characters.
A. denouement B. falling action C. conflict D. exposition

3. What is the locale or period in which the action of a story takes place?
A. conflict B. setting C. theme D. plot

4. Which of the following tells about the sequence of series of events in a story?
A. plot B. conflict C. setting D. theme

38
5. Theme is the underlying message that the writer would like to get across. What is
the theme of Things Fall Apart?
A. struggle between change and tradition
B. struggle between Okonkwo and the whites
C. struggle of Okonkwo
D. struggle of the colonizers

6. Which of the following is the exposition of the The Clever Young Man and the
Monster?
A. The woman gave birth to a boy named Masala Kulangwa.
B. From that day on, the young man started looking for the monster.
C. When he grew up he asked: “Mother, why are there only the two of us?
D. The monster or ogre Shing’weng’we swallowed all the people in the world.
7. The event with the greatest tension in the story.
A. exposition B. rising action C. climax D. plot

8. Where the story reaches its final conclusion and the writer starts to get ready to
tell the ending by way of explaining a finality to make the story complete.
A. exposition B. climax C. falling action D. denouement

9. A struggle between two opposing forces

A. plot B. conflict C. setting D. theme

10. What is the mood of Things Fall Apart?

A. somber and tragic
B. cheerful and reflective
C. gloomy and melancholy
D. romantic and whimsical

39