Re-negotiating Identities: Literature and Language in the Aftermath of Colonisation

Term Paper , 2005 , 9 Pages , Grade: 17/20

English Language and Literature Studies - Literature

Ngugi’s essay ‘The Language of African Literature’ is the core of his bookDecolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature.Significantly, the opening line of this work reads as follows : ‘This book is my farewell to English as a vehicle for any of my writings. From now on it is Gikuyu and Kiswahili all the way’. A forceful statement to open his text with, Ngugi makes it clear from the beginning what he has set out to do, namely, to reject the English language as a vehicle for African culture. In ‘The Language of African Literature’, he develops this point even further, by relating language to identity: ‘The choice of language and the use to which language is put is central to a people’s definition of themselves in relation to their natural and social environment, indeed in relation to the entire universe’. Although none of the African countries is a colony any longer, he claims that ‘even today as neo-colonies, [they] came to be defined and to define themselves in terms of the languages of Europe: Englishspeaking, French-speaking or Portuguese-speaking African countries’. Ngugi, in order to illustrate his argument, takes as endorsement for his contention the 1962 ‘Conference ofAfrican Writers of English Expression’,which, in his eyes failed to address the core issue of African literature: ‘the domination of [the African] languages and cultures by those of imperialist Europe’. Ngugi himself then advances an argument brought forth by Chinua Achebe in his essay ‘The African Writer and the English Language’. ‘Is it right that a man should abandon his mother tongue for someone else’s? It looks like dreadful betrayal and produces a guilty feeling. But for me there is no other choice. I have been given the language and I intend to use it’. Similarly, the Indian critic Braj Kachru argues that, although English as a language might have limitations, ‘the English language is not perceived as necessarily imparting only Western traditions. The medium is non-native, but the message is not’.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Re-negotiating Identities: Literature and Language in the Aftermath of Colonisation
• Ngugi's 'The Language of African Literature'
• Achebe's 'The African Writer and the English Language'
• Achebe's 'A Defence of English? An open letter to Mr Tai Solarin'
• Ngugi's view on the effects of the English language
• Achebe's view on the effects of the English language
• Language, communication and culture
• Ngugi's 'On the Abolition of the English Department'

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This essay explores the impact of colonialism on African identity and culture, focusing specifically on the role of language in shaping these concepts. The authors Ngugi and Achebe, both prominent figures in African literature, are analyzed to understand their positions on the use of English and its influence on African cultural expression.

• The impact of colonialism on African identity
• The relationship between language and identity
• The role of English as a language of communication and cultural expression
• The debate surrounding the use of English versus African languages in literature
• The concept of cultural imperialism and its implications for African writers

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The essay begins by outlining the complex nature of postcolonial studies and the diverse perspectives within this field. It introduces Ngugi and Achebe as key figures in this discourse and highlights their shared concern for restoring African culture and identity.
• Ngugi's essay 'The Language of African Literature' is discussed, emphasizing his strong rejection of English as a medium for African culture and his belief in the importance of African languages for self-definition.
• Achebe's argument in 'The African Writer and the English Language' is explored. While acknowledging the limitations of English, Achebe advocates for its use as a neutral vehicle for communication and argues that it can facilitate cultural exchange among Africans.
• Achebe's 'A Defence of English?' is analyzed, revealing his opposition to imposing African languages solely for political reasons and his acceptance of the reality of English as a dominant force in African literature.
• The essay then contrasts Ngugi's and Achebe's viewpoints on the use of English. Ngugi criticizes African authors who write in English for enriching foreign languages at the expense of their own, while Achebe sees the potential for a new, Africanized English to emerge.
• The essay concludes with a discussion of Ngugi's concept of language as a tool for spiritual subjugation. He argues that imposing English language leads to cultural imperialism and a loss of identity.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This essay explores key themes of postcolonialism, language, identity, cultural imperialism, and the role of African writers in shaping their own cultural narratives. The work focuses on the debates surrounding the use of English and African languages in literature and their implications for the development of a distinct African identity.

• College: University of Glasgow (Department of English Literature)
• Course: Literary Theory - Module 12 - University of Glasgow
• Grade: 17/20
• Author: Jenny Roch (Author)
• Publication Year: 2005
• Pages: 9
• Catalog Number: V49138
• ISBN (eBook): 9783638456647
• Language: English
• Tags: Re-negotiating, Identities, Literature, Language, Aftermath, Colonisation, Literary, Theory, Module, University, Glasgow