Ngugi's novels and African history : narrating the nation / James Ogude.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ogude, James.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo, 1938-2025--Knowledge and learning--History.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo, 1938-2025.

History.

Historical fiction, Kenyan (English)--History and criticism.

Historical fiction, Kenyan (English).

Literature and history--Africa--History--20th century.

Literature and history.

Literature and history--Kenya--History--20th century.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo, 1938-2025--Fictional works.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo, 1938-.

Kenya.

Africa.

Physical Description:

viii, 183 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; Sterling, Va. : Pluto Press, 1999.

Summary:

In this original study of Ngugi wa Thiong'o's work, James Ogude analyzes one of Africa's most controversial and internationally renowned literary figures.

Ogude argues that previous critiques of Ngugi have divorced him from historical and social contexts. Through the perspectives of history, ethnicity, and gender, Ogude examines Ngugi's representation or postcolonial Kenya, Ogude looks at Ngugi's entire novelistic output, including his major works, The River Between, A Grain of Wheat, Petals of Blood and Matigari. Ogude is also acutely aware of Ngugi's radical and also ambivalent attitude towards independence (Uhuru) and the manufacturing of nationhood. Ogude looks at the wider notion of the distinct boundaries between history and fiction which postcolonial literatures have sought to question.

Ogude fuses this historical overview with an in-depth critique of Ngugi's use of characterization and allegory. Ogude investigates the difficulties of interweaving oral and written forms and how this affects an African author trying to reach both a universal and local audience.

Contents:

1 Ngugi's concept of history

2 The changing nature of allegory in Ngugi's novels

3 Character portrayal in Ngugi's novels

4 The use of popular forms and the search for relevance

5 Allegory, romance and the nation: women as allegorical figures in Ngugi's novels

6 Ngugi's portrayal of the community, heroes and the oppressed.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 169-175) and index.

ISBN:

0745314368 hbk

OCLC:

41096125