The aim of this essay is to analyse two short African stories, each of them belonging to different areas. I will be focusing my attention on Chinua Achebe from Nigeria (West Africa), author of the short story “Girls at War”, and Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s “A Meeting in the Dark”, from Kenya (East Africa).
Nonetheless, both short stories share an important contrast between modernity (as a result of European influence on the part of colonizers) and tradition (the combination of cultural and social features characterizing African people’s identity).
Language acts as another element which divides tradition (aboriginal languages) and modernity (language of the colonizer): Ngugui wa Thiong’o supported the unique use of African languages in literature but it was after he wrote this story, which he wrote in English. He said that the language of the colonizer was a symbol of his identity, a way of accepting European culture.
On the contrary, Achebe decided to write in English because he wanted to address to the whole nation by means of a central language. He even considered that the use of English opened up more opportunities for his message to be read throughout Europe. This Western cultural background and clash between European and original African identities results in the concept of cultural syncretism, which will be a key concept for this analysis. These short stories are written literary proof of how African people found themselves in a constant fight to keep their original believes and traditions, trying to achieve success through European literacy but never being accepted as fully Westernized, nor as fully Africans anymore.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Two opposing forces: Tradition vs Modernity
- Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This essay analyzes two short African stories, "Girls at War" by Chinua Achebe and "A Meeting in the Dark" by Ngugi wa Thiong'o, exploring the contrast between modernity and tradition in post-colonial African societies. The analysis delves into the impact of European colonialism on African culture and identity, particularly through the lens of language and gender roles.
- The impact of European colonialism on African culture and identity
- The interplay of tradition and modernity in post-colonial African societies
- The role of language in shaping identity and cultural expression
- The depiction of gender roles and their evolution in the context of war and social change
- The complexities of cultural syncretism and the search for identity in a hybrid cultural landscape
Chapter Summaries
The introduction sets the context for the essay, outlining its focus on analyzing two short African stories that explore the tension between modernity and tradition. It highlights the influence of colonialism and decolonization on African identity, particularly in the context of language and cultural expression.
The second chapter examines the contrasting forces of tradition and modernity as they are presented in the short story "Girls at War" by Chinua Achebe. The story, set during the Biafran War, explores themes of political struggle, gender roles, and the corruptive nature of power. The chapter analyzes the use of Ibo proverbs and language as a means of preserving tradition, while also exploring the emergence of a more modern, independent female figure in the face of war.
Keywords
Key themes and concepts explored in this essay include: African literature, post-colonialism, modernity, tradition, colonialism, cultural syncretism, identity, language, gender roles, Biafran War, Ibo culture, decolonization, and cultural hybridity.
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- Ana María Leiva Aguilera (Autor), 2015, Modernity and Tradition in Chinua Achebe’s “Girls at War” and Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s “A Meeting in the Dark”, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/308941
