African Literature

The first well known African literature dates by the years 2300-2100 BC, at the North Africa in Egypt in papyrus. The first known written story is called "Creation Memphite Declaration of Deites" which principally talks about religion and beliefs.

Later on in the Sub Saharan Africa at the south, the earliest literature held on the year 1520 with a prominence of Islaamaic influences: a typical narrative of this period is an anonymous writer, the title called "Kilwa Kisiwani"; in this same place oral culture was very important to them incluiding personal narrative; the main themes were beliefs, how to live, proverbs and riddles. A written work language Swahili callled "Utendi Wa Tambuka" about a Muslim history.

Then came the colonization of Europeans to Africa (1870-1900), the first sign of oppression was that their oral traditions were threatened by Christian beliefs, just imagine one day being happy and peaceful  and the next moment you find yourself surrounded y strange white people who call orders you don't understand and make you believe in things you where not taught. The next stage Europeans made them destroy the pagan (without god) making them more primitive taking this advantage easier for them to manipulate and handle them.

Another thing that changed was the Swahili poetry, that  lost influence of Islamic and was changed to Bantu language.

Although African slaves suffered from the most terrible injustices, few were brave enough to write and publish their stories, in 1789 "The interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano" or "Gustava Vassa" a true story of a man who wrote all his experiences since when he was a child in the Igbo tribe and the moment they kidnapped him and was sent to live to Europe where he learnt many things and was educated.

Still things didn't progress for the Africans, they found other ways to bother them and this was the first time they criticize back men and analyzed racial and sexual issues was written by a man called Oliver Schriener. But soon enough Africans would rebel against them and fight for their civil rights and respect. A negritude movement was held in Paris (1920-1930) principally French speaking Africans searched for their identity .People started supporting the movement like Leopoldo Sedar Senghor known as the prime thinker and later on he would become the president of Senegal.

It was until 1948 that African literature was opened to the world this occurred by the novel of Alan Paton's "Cry of the Beloved Country", from this moment on other literary works started to come and be invented like "Black Skin, White Mask" by Fraz Fanon, "Things Fall Apart" (1986) by Chinua Achebe etc.
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Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. (2011). the Colonization of Africa. Available: http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africanaage/essay-colonization-of-africa.html. Last accessed January 22, 2013

Notebook Literature (2013)

 

 

Chinua Achebe Biography

Albert Chinualumogo also known as Chinua Achebe was born on November 16 1930 in the Igbo tribe, his parents Isaiah Okafor Achebe and Janet Iloegbunam Achebe. Mr. Isaiah Achebe was an instructor in Christian catechism for the Church Missionary Society, while British colonies had conquered Africa.

At the beginning of his education years Achebe went to the Church Missionary Society's school where he learnt for two years his own culture: the Igbos and later on learnt English but since at home he was told stories from his mother and sister and read books in English he formed himself as to appreciate his own culture.

Later on he was chosen to attend the Government College in Umuahia finishing preparatory school then following on to study medicine at the new University College at Ibadan; afterwards he changed his studies to liberal arts, including history, religion, and English.

When he got a bachelorettes degree in 1953, he went to London attending a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Staff School where Achebe and his colleagues sought for national unity through these programs.

At the same time he had finished his manuscript of “Things Fall Apart” translated into more than forty languages sold almost eight million copies all over the world later on publishing it by the year 1958 becoming a bestseller. However by the year 1966 to 1972 a commotion was unleashed in Ngeria, by the same time a new government pursued Achebe because of his strong critics towards the regimen he then fled to Nsukka were he became senior research fellow at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka after the declaration of independence Nigeria of Biafra, Achebe left and traveled to Europe and America.

 He was also teacher at University of Massachusetts from 1972 to 1976 and again in 1987 till 1988; Chinua has received many numerous honors including Honorary Fellowship of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, other twenty honorary doctorates from universities in England, Scotland, the United States, Canada, and Nigeria.

Today he lives with his wife Annandale and four children in New York teaching at Bard College.
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References:

Anchor Books. (1994). Chinua Achebe. Available: http://reading.cornell.edu/reading_project_05/about.html. Last accessed January 21, 2013.

Anonymous. (2010). Chinua Achebe Biography. Available: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/things-fall-apart/chinua-achebe-biography.html. Last accessed January 21,2013. Chinua Achebe [Internet]. 2012. http://www.famousauthors.org/chi-achebe, January 22 Carroll David,Ezenwa-Ohaeto,Innes, C. L.. (1990). Chinua Achebe Biography. Available: http://www.notablebiographies.com/A-An/Achebe-Chinua.html. Last accessed January 21, 2013.

Importance of Literature

Since little we would learn how to behave, show good manners and be a person of morality and values however by the time, we quite forget about these and grow according to the dictation of the society.

We leave them aside just because they seem so antique and unnecessary but it is the contrary, it will determine a better future  as the interior of a person is more accepted to work  rather than a rude and education less type of person. Wise men and women will know just how wrong it is to leave values and morality aside, by which others don't know how to use and appreciate them at will being able to give them an importance in their daily life. All this may seem so vague, you may wonder what does this have to do with education, but have we forgotten how our education began? I am not talking about school although it forms great part of it; no, it is the way our parents started teaching us with concept of values and morals, how they showed us the right path and led us to follow the societies rules which later on helps us a more civilized and respectful group of folks, in some ways because in this world they are others more malicious and self centered like politicians and primarily people with power that don’t look up for the good of their town instead their welfare.

A very good education starts with all these basics values and consequently a proper formal one which is school, were lots of new and different knowledge will be transmitted to the young class. Not so distant from being civic, were on a very near future, this will be used in his/ her life unconsciously.

As a consequence in history till our present days after getting all this knowledge, people started and wanted to express their need alert all of  the rich and useful information that would be the foundation of inventions, greatest authors, philosophers and many other professions. Focusing ourselves into literature, people in this way wanted to express the written and spoken stories, tales, legends, scientific and informational documents/books and inclusively daily life events, through pictography from the old civilizations to the now paper books or any of its derivatives however paper books are tending to disappear because of internet and its ease to everybody.

It is very well said that “There is no surer foundation for a beautiful friendship than a mutual taste in literature.” P.G. Wodehouse(http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/literature)

Referring to the bond that our ancestors transmitted to us at our present days and its importance as we can share with every nation the traditions of a country to the typical stories and legends of certain region, to be identified with it; a derivate as I said of education which will reflect people point of views, level of education, their most strongest values and a different touch, of expression form of writing classified as fiction, nonfiction, drama, novel etc.

To be cult it takes many aspects basically one can say that he or she is very educated, but can they really aplly those concepts as a good citizen and act as wisely as possible? A country with a lot of ignorance is not a country of successful and progressive development, it will stay on a static state without any chance of opportunities. The country will also have losses as they will have to invest in promoting a better life for each individual like education, health etc. but the decision relays on them and this is wrong because they stay on a conformism state without working and by that not being productive to the country.

To conclude literature has been and always will be appreciated by the human race, some might differ but we can see the mentalities of those who don’t read, besides reading makes you interact with the brain and produces your imagination to grow, it can also make you feel emotions you never thought before will occur; it is not a passive fashion to say it like that it is basically what we are and what we live with daily. But before all this we must have an education so we know what we want and discuss with people about recent and not only this but cultural knowledge, books etc. by being educated we can be wiser in decisions and defend ourselves properly, like if someone wants to take advantage of us or others, you will know better. However I must say some people with a lower class fight for getting an education and thrive and can be very humble and noble towards people and can show it in writings and this is a lesson of life which touches our heart and moves us to help and see that anything is possible with a little bit of effort.

When we have accomplished to have an entire population educated, their knowledge will be so contagious that other people will want to follow this role and be anxious to discuss many of the knowledge with others, consequently countries would be rich with many inventions, professionals, some pending issues of competitiveness but the mayor big problem of illiteracy would be eradicated.