Assignment on :

On the Abolition of English Department

Subject:
Literary Theory and Criticism
Submitted By:
Megastars
Hifza Waris 122
Hadiqa Shahid 123
Hafsa Arshad124
Saira Gulzar 126
Ramya Shahnaz 129

Submitted To:
Mam Hina Rafique
Submission Date:
24-08-2023

BS VI ( English 2020-2024)
Govt Graduate College for Women, satellite
town Gujranwala
 The abolition of English Department

Ngugi Wa Thiong’o:
Ngugi is a Kenyan author and academic who writes primarily in
Guyuki and who formerly write in English. He has been described as having been considered
“East Africa’s leading novelist”. His works included essay, novels, plays, short stories, literary
and social criticism. Ngugi presented his ideas on literature, culture, politics in numerous essays
and lectures. He argued for African-language literature as the only authentic voice for Africans
and stated his own intention of writing in kikuyu or kiswahili for point on. Such works earned him
a great reputation as one of Africa’s most articulate social critics.

He, with Taban Lo Liyong and Awuor Anyumba, authored the polemical declaration, On the Abolition of
the English Department, setting in motion a continental and global debate and practices that later became
the heart of postcolonial theories. The text is carried in his first volume of literary essays, Homecoming,
which appeared in print in 1969

Introduction:
“The Abolition of English Department” is a proposal to completely remove the English
Department in the University of Nairobi in Kenya, East Africa. The essay proposed changes that
are necessary to place into the core the roots of Kenya as an African nation. In this essay, Ngugi
argues simultaneously for replacing a traditional English department with a department of African
literature and languages to revolt against thus vestige of British colonial rule; They suggested that
the post colonial African university must first establish a counter curriculum of African languages
and literatures and then return to study of European and other world literature from an African
perspective. If there is a need for study of the historic continuity of a single culture why can't this
be Africa? Why can't African literature be at the centre so that we can view other cultures in
relation yo it.

Ngugi raises an important question “If there is need for a ‘study of the historic continuity of a
single culture’, why can’t this be African? Why can’t African literature be at the centre so that we
can view other cultures in relationship to it?”. This question intensifies the importance of
installing African department of literature in the replacement of English.
According to the English Department is crucial example of the staying power of colonial
influence that governs the development of their students. This influence on education is a
hindrance to claiming the independence of a country as it will always redirect the students to
imbibing the culture, tradition and consciousness of their colonizers even after the colonization
period. It limits the students’ chances of knowing their roots; thus, it will only produce young
students who are knowledgeable about their colonizers, but ignorant about their roots.

The English tradition and the emergence of the modern west is the central root of our
consciousness and cultural heritage. Africa becomes an extension of the west, an attitude.

The alteration of the English Department to a Department of African Literature and Languages is
not merely a change of name. The essay highlights that they want to establish the centrality of
Africa in the Department. This is just logical in a sense that being from the colonizer means that a
country is free to rebuild what was lost during the colonization process and placing the real
African into the center would make the younger generation after the colonization to think like
Africans and for them to experience and know more about their roots.

As Ngugi claims that “The primary duty of any literature department is to illuminate the spirit
animating a people, to show how it meets new challenges, and to investigate possible areas of
development and involvement.” So it is not crucial that the literature should be in English
language.

Further Ngugi argues that the study of language and linguistics must be included along the study
of literature because in literature we see the principles of languages and linguistics in
action.Conversely, through knowledge of languages and linguistics we can get more from
literature. For linguistics not to become eccentric, it should be studied in the Department of
African Literature and Languages.

Other subjects such as Swahili, French, and English, Arabic, Hindustani, Kikuyu should be
introduced into the syllabus as optional subjects.

This abolition of the English department also opens an avenue to place traditional arts and
literature of Africa into the curriculum. Since they are promoting the Africanism within Africans,
it is a must to look back into the pre-colonial literary text—the traditional oral arts. The Oral
tradition is rich and many-sided. Traditional oral art is “a living tradition” that at the present time
there are songs being sung in political rallies, churches. The good thing about including the
traditional arts is the interlinking of multidisciplinary outlook in studying this form of literature as
it will not only concentrate on literature but also music, linguistics, sociology, anthropology,
history, psychology, religion and philosophy. Moreover, familiarity of oral literature can offer
new techniques and strategies and could foster attitudes of mind characterized by willingness to
experiment with new forms. The oral tradition also comments on society because of its intimate
relationship and involvement.

The study of the Oral Tradition would therefore supplement (not replace) courses in
Modern African Literature. By discovering and proclaiming loyalty to indigenous values,
the new literature would on the one hand be set in the stream of history to which it
belongs and so be better appreciated; and on the other be better able to embrace and
assimilate other thoughts without losing its roots…

He laid heavy stress upon carrying the french language as an important part of African
Department because a major part of African literature such as prose and poetry is written in
French language. So the importance of French cannot be diminished.

Indeed, Modern African Literature is self-evidently centered on everything Africans.The scope

intensifies the need to place Africa as the heart of the study. I think this is to empower the youth
knowledge on how great their culture is compared to the culture imposed by the colonizers.

Lastly, the abolition of English Department and establishment of the Department of African
Literature and Languages offers an interlinking between Department of African Literature and
Languages among other departments for them to concentrate on the aspects of African thought
not only in literature and languages but to the honing of the Africa and Africans as a whole.

The abolition of the English Department is necessary to reestablish the Africanism of the people
which is partially or totally eroded by the process of colonization. Centering Africa as the heart of
study for literature and languages students would promote to the younger generations of African
to think Africans. The marks of colonization will not be eradicated completely, but the roots of
Africans could be reinstated if they are going to prioritize African literature and culture in the
students’ curriculum. The worst thing that could happen to a country is to have citizens who are
knowledgeable about the whole world but ignorant about themselves. This abolition is not just
about retribution and disdain over the colonizers but it is more on recognizing the importance of
knowing and imbibing what makes them Africans.