LESSON 4: African Literature

When people think of Africa, they sometimes think of “darkness”, “black,” and “poverty.” History has
shown us how this continent became brutally colonized by white European traders and imperialists in Congo.
Each portion of the continent was divided and spoiled by western countries like France, the Netherlands,
Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Slavery, racism, discrimination including
violence and colonial domination became the reality of most Africans. In fact, most of their natural resources
where highly exploited and exported to colony countries.

But Africa is more than just a continent with dark and bitter history, but it is the world's second
largest and second most-populous continent next to Asia. Also, Africa contains an enormous amount of
wealth like mineral resources, including some of the world’s largest reserves of fossil fuels, metallic ores, and
gems and precious metals. This richness is matched by a great diversity of biological resources that includes
the intensely lush equatorial rainforests of Central Africa and the world famous populations of wildlife of the
eastern and southern portions of the continent. Although agriculture still dominates the economies of many
African countries, the exploitation of these resources became the most significant economic activity in Africa
in the 20th century. Because of these exploitations, several Africans stood up to oppose injustices and
express their hardships and experiences to the world.

African literature stands proud with the likes of J.M. Coetzee (South Africa), Wole Soyinka (Nigeria),
Derek Walcott (Saint Lucia), Naguib Mafouz (Egypt), and Nadine Gordimer (South Africa) as winners of the
prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature. Other writers who have made an impact on world literature include
Ngugi Wa Thiong’o (Kenya) and Chinua Achebe (Nigeria).

Among the many Africans, one that most people know including many Filipinos is Nelson Mandela. He
is the head of South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, a political leader, and philanthropist who served as
President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 and was the country's first black head of state and the first
elected in a fully representative democratic election.

21st Century Canon of African Literature

African literature of the 21st century is defined by their long history of colonization, to gaining
independence and now, the rise of present-day globalization. When one is studying African literature, one
can’t get away without studying the works of South African writer Nadine Gordimer. She is a contemporary
novelist known for July’s People and Burgher’s Daughter. Aside from Gordimer is Chinua Achebe whose
works also represents African literature to world literature. He is best known for his novel Things Fall Apart.
The novel deals about how African countries are product of colonization. Many contemporary artists describe
modern African literature as “astonishing and vibrant body of work, produced in multiple languages and from
every part of the continent, including memoir, oral literature, poetry, short fiction, novels and more.”

South African literature

South African literature, the body of writings in either Afrikaans or English produced in what is now
the Republic of South Africa. The rest of African literature is treated in African literature.

South Africa was colonized by Europeans against the resistance of Africans and was for some time
afterward a battlefield between Briton and Boer. Although South Africa became independent in 1910, the
nation’s varied ethnic constituents have not yet been unified in a harmonious whole, and the tension arising
from the unequal relations between blacks and whites is the authentic note of much South African literature.
Indigenous South African literature effectively began in the late 19th century and became fairly copious in the
20th century. Much of the work by persons born in South Africa was limited in its viewpoint; often these
writers only dimly apprehended the aspirations, perceptions, and traditions of South Africans belonging to a
people other than their own. English-speaking South African writers are mainly urban and cosmopolitan;
their culture is English, and they often have a wider audience among English-speaking communities abroad.
By contrast, Afrikaans writers belonged for many decades to a close-knit community—born of a defensive
posture—with shared experiences (including rural roots), shared aspirations and religion, and a strong sense
of nationhood. Only in the 1960s did a major break with this tradition become apparent.

The twin 20th-century phenomena of urbanization and apartheid greatly affected the psychological
makeup and thus the literary expression of English- and Afrikaans-speaking whites, as well as of indigenous
Africans of the 21st century. The moral and artistic challenges inherent in South Africa’s situation stimulated
writing up to a point, but the South African preoccupation with “race” problems may ultimately have proven
inimical to the creation of an authentic national literature.

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.

Example of African Literature

Read the following story.

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 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.

EXPLORE
Directions: Answer the following questions below.

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

______________________________________________________________

2. How can you show heroism today? ______________________________

________________________________________________________________

FIRM-UP

You must think of a "hugot line" or quotation that will suit the culture of African. Transfer your "hugot line or
quotation" into paper and be liberal in adding designs to show your creativity. Be ready to present your work
in front of the class in the most artistic way possible. You will be rated based on the criteria below.

Rubric:

Message and Creativity 10

Presentation (Clarity, Creativity, Mastery) 5

Connection to the African literature 5

DEEPEN
Directions: Compare the African myth above 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.

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.
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/)

TRANSFER

Directions: Writing a close analysis and critical interpretation of literary texts, applying a reading approach,
and doing an adaptation of these, require from the learner the ability to identify: representative texts and
authors from African Literature. Make a literatour analysis through a blog of your chosen African literature.
You may choose from the example above if no accessibility of finding African literature.

Rubric:

Content: 10

Creativity: 5

Language : 5