African Literature, Essay Example

African literature was largely oral until the late 20th century. It included oral traditions of mythological narratives, proverbs, and poetry. This has advanced for a prolonged period with many writers upcoming in the African literatures and writing books. The books are own experiences or narrating other people’s lives within the African context. African-born writers have actually made sporadic and major contributions to respective European literature since the Renaissance. Some of the early works include the Juan Latino a classical scholar an enslaved African who later made it at University of Granada as a professor. Many other writers write on the history of the apartheid period. They account for their early life in Africa, adventures and enslavement in the land. Written literature has had major effects from the issues of political oppression and conflict in the society especially relating to the apartheid era. This paper focuses on some of the works from pronounced professional writers. It details some of the specific experiences in the continent inclining to apartheid issues at the time and the content in their piece of works.

Prominently, almost all writers in African Literature have faced similar conditions in their lives related to either oppression or discrimination. Majority of the contributors in the African Literature were also activists in their fields fueling to leading protests to fight the discriminations and unfair treatments. Africa Kills Her Sun is the works of Kenule Beeson a Nigerian author commonly referred to as “ken.” He was a television producer and an environmental activist who won the Goldman Environmental Prize. He came from the ethnic minority in the land of Nigeria with his home being a target for crude oil extraction in the early 1950s. Because of this, his area faced extreme environmental damages for decades resulting from dumping petroleum waste indiscriminately in the area. No effort was from the government to stop the corrupt and harmful acts motivating him as a write to detail the experiences in the country.

In his works, he writes a form of a condemned letter from a man to his former girlfriend. It constitutes a satire on the major effects of all-encompassing pervasive graft and corruption in Nigerian society as well as Africa in general. It is in ironic form denouncing the economic immorality-taking place in the country that is still under military dictatorship. His works are a true representation of political oppression where the common person suffers under the arms of the reckless authorities. The writer faced challenges in his profession from the government’s oppression where he is accused of inciting people over issues. He faces rough times under the oppression and imprisoned later in 1993 owing to the political activism in the country.

The prison settings were worse with Capital punishment implicated on most in mates. He even did not survive for a year before he was ‘hanged’, with the court having passed the order. His times are concurrent to the apartheid period in South Africa where people protest against similar oppression from the government. His works are a true representation of what was happening in the countries and the fate of the common person in the countries.

It portrays the prison as a system of oppression for the innocent people fighting for justice. Charles (2001) says that the prisoners face discrimination, their queries are ignored and justice never prevails in the system lending it being referred as a corrupt institution in most countries (34-35).

Bessie Head is a South African writer who was prominently popular during the apartheid period. His works include “The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses” a great story on a prison system in South Africa and the discrimination, exploitation and corruption going on in the institutions. Evaluating her works brings out an element of favors and racial discrimination among the inmates within the prison. It details unfair treatment depending on the relations with the warders or the guards in the institutions. A major character in her works is Hannetjie who is a new warder Spanning One prison group.

He takes the role of managing a closely-knit black political prisoners group in a South African work camp. In the introduction of the story, the warder takes the figure of strong will and nature. He is controlling and demanding the prisoners within the institution. As a routine, you would expect such an authoritative person never to compromise. One day, he gets Brille, one of the prisoners, stealing. When he manages to cuff him, Hannetjie punishes Brille with glasses severely. This is because of stealing and attempting to talk back to him. The story continues and recites more on the predicament unfolding between the two. Ultimately, Brille catches Hannetjie on the act, stealing fertilizer. He uses this advantage and dares to strike a deal with him. This is a true indication of the hustles in the institution and the high corrupt deals that happen there. It is a representation of horrible governing and political oppression at a high level.

He makes a deal with him and promises privileges to help the prisoner live a comfortable life in the stay at the prison. In return, they will have to steal and bring everything to Hannetjie. Without such cooperation, their group will be revealed. To remain outstanding and in the dark, they perpetuate most of the robberies in the prison just to keep their group stronger. The two sides cooperate balancing their life at the prison. Some of the issues apparent to the story include political imprisonment, collusion, bias, and theft.

It is a great piece of work during the apartheid period portraying the prison system and its operations. The piece of work is dependable in generating political imprisonment concept, analyzing the beliefs regarding political imprisonment, appreciating differences and a good lesson to avoid theft and collusion. Reed (2003) contributes to the exploitation in prisons especially resulting from racial discrimination. He argues that many prison warders have an element of discriminating against prisoners from different races than their own (287-300).

The Prayer from the Living is another of the great African literature portraying the struggle in political conflict and racial oppression. Jordan uses the example of Nelson Mandela to give an example of a good leader. Her works are a relation of her childhood memories, and she relates them apparently to the struggle of overcoming breast cancer in the country. This is a true indication that she fears a chance of permanent struggles in life because of political oppression the conflict of interests (William 1914 4-5). She compares the situation in the United States with apartheid in South Africa and strongly opposes any oppression by the seniors. Affirmative Acts is all about critical, controversial, and timely issues currently at the American debate (Schuyler 302). Her narration is a direct correlation of what the people in the country want also their demands from the ruling organ. It depicts real life and the hustles they have to go through.

Whether taking on the tragic affirmative action dismantling, ruminating on the intersections of gender, race, class, and injustice, arguing on the hatred that engulfs American society or calling out against the oppression worldwide, June paints her works, what she names “universal struggle face”. she says that eloquent, Intuitive, and caustic, Affirmative Acts are an address to the human meaning of political, social, racial, and economic conflict. They are to address the racial, social, economic, and political conflicts that engulf the human experience. She also explores the confusion in Americans in the occurrence of political intolerance and pseudo-multiculturalism. The prayer essay features the call of the people for justice and equity in resource distribution because of the unfair circumstances. It compares to the Valentine’s Day essay in which a person suffers from AIDS yet others celebrate their love with passion (Jordan 24). Her works are a representation of the oppressions and inequalities. She therefore provokes more on the people’s call to motivate a political action.

These works of the African scholars might be fictional to some extent, but the reality is that they depict the situation on ground. They reveal the writers experience and perception of the real life. An analysis of the situation ends the argument that there was massive political oppression and the persistence of racial conflict with a positive note of the importance of African Literature in shedding some light to the modern generation.

Works Cited

Charles, M. The Setting Sun and the Rolling World. London: Macmillan Publishers 1989, 34-35.

Reed, Ishmael. 1938-Another Day at the Front: Dispatches from the Race War: New York, NY: Basic Books, 2003, 189.

Schuyler, D. 1931-1967: Adventures in Black and White. New York: Oxford UP, 1960, 302.

William, E. 1868-1963, Annual Report of the Director of Publicity and Research for the Year 1913: Annual Report of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 1914, 4:31-34