African Literature

African Literature

African Literature consist of a work in different languages and genres, in which you can found oral and written material in colonial languages (French, English, Portuguese or Spanish)

The beginnings of African literature started with ancient Egyptians with their knowledge about creating “ papyrus” and written text. But the period of colonization was the most important, because Europeans started to use Christian ethic to teach African people there culture and they started to destroy the Africa´s culture. However, the African people tried to never forget their culture. The African communities that were closer to Europe, they have the possibility to be educated on writing and reading techniques.

In 1789, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Oluadah Equiano was the first slave narrative to be published. This autobiography was written by an Ibo man that suffers from kidnapping in Nigeria and his entire journey in Great Britain.

  

Oral literature consist in proverbs, stories, legends, traditions, their ancestors heroic events, myths, songs or histories, In Africa they’re mostly taught to educate their children and in that form never loose their old roots.

To African society it is essential oral literature, so the folktale tellers use call-response techniques using music in their narratives.

The written literature took place in inspirations with themes like slavery, legends, racism, old traditions and slave trade. One of the fist work ever written was associated with Christian missionary activity. The first work that began to get known in the West part of the world where the novels, stories or publications where written about the horrors already mention.

When African authors began to write their work in their language, they began to criticise the colonial repression.

Since the early 19-century, writers from western Africa began to use the newspapers as a way to criticise and to show their feelings against their nation government. When the Négritude Movement started, a lot of french-african writers began to use poetry, such as Léon Damas and Aimé Césaire.

After the World War II, Africa began to fight for their Independence and the writers start to make plays, essays, histories, novels and stories about the hope of a new bright future and the pride to be African.

Otherwise, Africa culture began to develop there literature and get known, for example, In 1986, Wole Soyinka became the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature.

However, the African writers focus more on writing about African past during the colonialism, for instance Chinua Achebe`s work has been inspired on the tribe he was born “Igo” within there conflicts, such as slavery. Although, Africa has develop the possibility to have Universities specialized on African Literature, and also in schools and Universities all around the world.

The period called Post-Achebe African Literature was a time that African writers has the possibility to get known worldwide matters. Also in this period the women started to write and to give the female knowledge against the racist, slavery and colonialism period. Chinua Achebe has his importance because it was his best time as a writer and he began to support other writers.

In conclusion, Africa is a country that is in way of developing and continue looking forward to the future, but it will always have their culture present.

BY: Sandra Castañeda Mota

REFERENCES:

UNC ( 2007) Unc.edu (Online) Availabe at:

http://www.unc.edu/~hhalpin/ThingsFallApart/literature.html

[ Accessed on: January 22, 2013]

Indiana Univerity ( 2009) Muse Proyect ( Online) Available at:

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/ral/

[ Accessed on: January 22, 2013]

Chinua Achebe Biography

“The only thing we have learnt from experience is that we learn nothing from experience.” – Chinua Achebe

Albert Chinualumogo Achebe known as Chinua Achebe is widely known as an African writer. Born in November 15, 1930, with Christian parents and raised in Ogidi, Nigeria.

He got his education in English, but also with Irgo traditions; he assisted to the University of Ibadan where he studied medicine and literature. After graduated he began teaching and he joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Company in Lagos.

He became fascinated with African culture, and began writing stories.  In 1950, Achebe gained the world attention with his book “ Things Fall Apart”; he expressed all his books, novels, poems and publications with honesty and in a way criticizing, for instance in 1975,  his lecture " An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad´s " Heart of Darkness", in this lecture Achebe expressed and criticized all the racism that suffer the African people, in which caused a lot of worldwide controversy.

In 1967, the region of Biafra was independent from Nigeria, Achebe became one of their supporters of Independence and become there Embassador. The war of violence and starvation took power in the new nation, so Achebe ask Europe and the America for aid, but no one answer.

In 1970 , the Nigerian government retook the region and Achebe sooner or later got frustrated because of all the corruption that was going on, in which no one helped him.

Achebe began to travel a lot and started to write novels focus in his old roots, the Igbo society and the influences of the Christianity, also their traditions, proverbs and beliefs.

He was known as the “ Voice of Nigeria and African writers series” and called “ the Father of Modern African writing”. All of his achievements has been awarded in 1982, the American Academy of Arts and Letter, 2002 in the American Academy of Arts and Science, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, and the Man Booker International Prize in 2007.

His recent work has been in 2012 with his publication called “ There was a country”, in which cause a commotion and discussion about the Nigerian Civil War.

Now at days, Chinua Achebe has 83 years old and he is still a very influential man. The world needs people like him, people that they are not afraid of being different, of being leader, of telling the truth not matter what and the most important thing of all is to make the difference.
Written by: Sandra Castañeda Mota

Reference: Grade Saver ( 2003) Grade Saver.com ( online) Available at:
 http://www.gradesaver.com/author/chinua-achebe/
[ Accessed on January 21, 2012]

The Importance of literature on education and development of humanity

Literature is essential for the existence of human kind, because is a form of expression in which can be oral or written work. Every work has the same purpose that is to get known by others and express  experiences, stories, knowledges, thoughts or traditions for the future generations.

Literature is a way to study the development in society, in which it encompass all the themes. ( arts, scientific investigations, historical manners)

Now at days, the development of society is always changing and hopefully getting better, thanks to all the teachings of our forefathers, we can be able to reflect, study and choose the right decisions of our daily lifetime, our community, our city or even for our  nation.

Humanity depends on papers, books or speeches to be able to develop in a good way.

Knowing who to write and read has its importance in the society; without it, you can´t have a promising future. The world depends on the past literature but also in the present and in future. Being literacy is  an indispensable way for learning, studying and understanding the past and its historical events through newspapers, thoughts, stories, myths, books or even poems, within being able to understand the world wide present problems, but also to have the opportunity to leave a mark in the world and in a way became immortalized with a journal, witting stories or scientific investigations, and perhaps be useful as a study for future generations in our development.

The education has change throughout history with the help of literature.

Books, papers, oral speeches, investigations or artistic literature are essential to change and improve the education in the society. Having the knowledge of past writings will be use as a reference to new books, new readings, new investigations and new artistic ideas.

Children have the right to an education in which includes the knowledge of reading and writing so in the future the generations will be able to have a register of all the changes and developments that has suffer the world throughout the years.

The most important thing is to use the literature as a tool to help the development and the education of the human kind.