THE AFRICAN NOVEL AS A POLITICAL MANIFESTO
THE AFRICAN NOVEL AS A POLITICAL MANIFESTO
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Date
1997-06
Authors
Hassan Adamu, Sa'idu
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Abstract
Our proposition is that literature is all about politics and literary
writers, like all other artists, are partisans who try to persuade their
audiences to take sides with them in maintaining or changing power
relations in line with, and on behalf of, the interests of certain classes in
the society. In this sense, the African novel, as represented by selected
writings of Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong'O, can be regarded as a
powerful and effective medium for the dessimination of political
manifestos which condition people to act in defence of, or in opposition to,
certain forms of the distribution of power in the society.
Our findings indicate that Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong'O
present in their novels two contrasting, but partisan, manifestos. Achebe's
political manifesto is a bourgeois-nationalist and reformist one, which
insists that it is possible to have in Nigeria (and, implicitly, the rest of
Africa) an efficient, working, capitalist system which could provide for all
and take the country to greatness, so long as it is led by a well-educated,
decent and responsible elite. Our analyses, however, indicate that
Achebe's political platform is untenable because it fails to address the
contradictions in the social relations of production, exchange and
distribution which are at the roots of the country's problems of
exploitation, domination and underdevelopment.
Ngugi, on the other hand, presents in his novels a more persuasive
and powerfully argued proletarian manifesto which indicates that the neocolonial
capitalist system of exploitation and domination in Africa is
diseased and dying, and the neo-colonial ruling classes presently in
charge are not only incapable of creativity and industry, they cannot
visualise any future for their countries and peoples beyond their own
stomachs and pockets. The way forward to a free, just, productive and
creative Africa is, therefore, according to Ngugi, through the organised
struggle of workers and other oppressed classes to overthrow neocolonialism
and the system of imperialist exploitation and domination
which it represents.
Our findings thus demonstrate that the African novel is a rich data
source which can usefully complement the African political scientist's
conventional data sources as well as contribute new information and
correct biases in existing knowledge.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to the Post-Graduate School, Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria, in Partial Fulfilment for the Award of the Degree of
Master of Science (Political Science), in the Department of Political
Science.
June, 1997
Keywords
AFRICAN,, NOVEL,, POLITICAL,, MANIFESTO: