#6 AFRICAN LITERATURE

"MY OWN  MIMESIS"

Despite of the ignorance of so-called “literati” to the domain of African Literature, Literates in Africa, became one of the currents of the world literature stretching continuously and directly back to ancient history.

African Literature differs in any other literature in the world by means of language.. In which they use the proverbs, idioms, myths and lyrics. Second is the used of revealed environments, African Literature should reveals African realities. Last is the nature of conflict. The conflicts use, should be based in African culture, such as the bride price, polygamy, killing of Albinos, and all. While the formal characteristics of African Literature includes, rhythmic, dramatic, evocative language, and reference to color-race-ethnicity. The use of proverbs, aphorisms, biblical verses. The sermonize tone reminiscent of traditional, black Church rhetoric, especially in vocabulary, images, metaphor, direct address-conversational tone, cultural references , ethno linguistic idioms, verbal inventiveness, unique nomenclature, cultural values-community consciousness and field dependence. These were only few of the interesting parts about African Literature that anyone would be eager to know and find out.

African literature anyway, began when the ancient Egyptians use burial texts to accompany their dead. Including the first written accounts of creation- the Memphite Declaration of Deities from which we originate papyrus. From then on, Africans consider oral arts as “arts for life’s sake” to which it present knowledge, and wisdom. In fact these oral arts and culture of the Africans takes in many forms, precisely the proverbs, riddles, epic narratives, praise poetry, songs and chants, rituals, legends and folktales.

Africans at that time kept their oral traditions alive with the help of the traveling griots who use that call and response technique in spreading literature all over Africa. The legends of the Empire of Mali and Dinga are best examples of these.

“We live in an atmosphere of rejection, and we are what we are – that we are black and have a history” that is according to Cesaire one of the famous literati in Africa. Oral traditions and paper works came to a very serious situation during colonial period in Africa. Africans need to justify themselves among with the Christian ethics who therefore tried to destroy the pagan and primitive making them a pliable slaves. It was in this time when discrimination largely evolved in Africa. Africans here tend to suffer that much in order to gain their freedom and independence for their selves and so, as for their country. As we recall that movie “La Amistad”,from it we can hardly tell that Africans back at those times were simply nothing against the colonizers. It is indeed injustice for the Africans knowing that they were the main objective of that “slave trade thingy”. It’s not because they’re weak, not because they are black but also because, they lack the capability of fighting back. But, despite of all, fact came when Africans survived this attack. In the year 1789, the first slave narrative was published named “Interesting Narrative of Life of Olaudah Equiano.  This slave narrative was somehow according to this Ibo man who was kidnapped in Nigeria who wrote his autobiography in Great Britain. He also uses his narrative as platform to attack injustices of slavery and cultural destruction. Leopold Sedar Senghor, a noble writer and one of the primitive of the negritude movement, became the first president of Senegal.. In here, African literature came to the world stage in Alan Paton’s publishing of Cry the Beloved Country. It is a book which was somewhat a sentimental portrayal of Africa.

Hence, in post colonization, African tend to move on from their past. They only have these clashes between the past and the present. There were conflicts evolving and so as social problems. The rights and roles of women were imposed at this time. Africans then, had their language, the western and the tradional. It was Chinua Achebe, a famous African writer in his time who opened the door for the many African literatis attaining an international recognition all over the world. African women begin to let their voices be heard focusing about the perspective of colonization and other African issues. Wole Soyinka another writer, focuses his satire of the conflict between modern Nigeria and it’s traditional culture in his book. He was a prolific writer who later produces famous plays such as Death. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, the first person in Africa and the Diaspora to be so honored. Another writer won the Nobel Prize of Literature named Naguib Mahfouz. In 1990, poetry in Africa experiences a vital comeback trough the work of “I is a Long Woman by Frances Anne Soloman. After that, African literature continues to gain more. African writers continue to sore high and conquer the world with their extraordinary works. In fact, Achebe in this time helps reunite African Literature as a whole publishing in 1985 African Short Stories, simply a collection all over the continent of Africa.

Africa today continue to evolve as of never been touched by history. Africans therefore, continue to be proud of what they are no matter what their color is. African Literature nowadays, gains more and more momentum as time marches onwards.