Philosophy, Language, and Literature in an African Context

by Beatrice Abonga Ajok (Contribution by), Gloria Rashid Akello (Contribution by), Sarah Amarorwot (Contribution by), Aloysius Tenywa Malagala (Contribution by), Thaddeus Metz (Contribution by)

Overview

Philosophy, Language, and Literature in an African Context investigates the link between philosophy and language in African literature. Wilfred Lajul and the contributors argue that African literature is more than the desire of literary writers to entertain or provoke thought, but rather a stylistic means through which they convey important information and philosophy. This book also probes into theories, contexts, and moral language in African literature, exploring their implications for language use. The contributors analyze linguistic, philosophical, and cultural worldviews of the African literary writers shown within their poetry, novels, and plays. This book provides new ways of understanding the relationship between philosophy and language in African literature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781666952117
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	12/16/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	226
File size:	315 KB

About the Author

Wilfred Lajul is professor of philosophy at Gulu University, Uganda.

Table of Contents

Preface
Wilfred Lajul
Introduction: Exploring Philosophy and Language in African Literature
Wilfred Lajul
Part I: Language in African Literature
Chapter 1: An African Theoretical Basis of Philosophy and Language in African Literature
Wilfred Lajul
Chapter 2: The Wrongness of Slurs: Harm, Disrespect, and Discord
Thaddeus Metz
Chapter 3: Politics of Language in African Literature: Ngugi w’Thiongo and Chinua Achebe’s Debates
Sarah Amarorwot
Part II: Philosophy and Language in African Poetry
Chapter 4: Protest and Difference in the Poetry of Okot p’Bitek: A Case Study of Song of Lawino and Song of Ocol
Charles Nelson Okumu
Chapter 5: Changing Trends in Poetry of Protest in East Africa: A Case Study of Selected Poems of Susan Kiguli and Jared Angira
Peace Yikiru
Chapter 6: The Concept of Death in Selected Poems of Timothy Wangusa
Dorica Deborah Mirembe
Part III: Philosophy and Language in African Novels
Chapter 7: Anarchy in a State of Harmony: Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
Aloysius Tenywa Malagala
Chapter 8: Political and Cultural Revival Discourse in Wole Soyinka’s Novels
Wilfred Lajul
Chapter 9: Ba’s Novel, So Long a Letter: A Glimpse of Women’s Resilience Amidst Cultural and Religious Oppression in Sub-Saharan Africa
Betty J. Okot
Part IV: Philosophy and Language in African Drama
Chapter 10: Language of Freedom in the Trial of Dedan Kimathi and I Will Marry When I Want
Peace Yikiru
Chapter 11: Clash of Values in Wole Soyinka’s Drama, The Lion and the Jewel: A Colonial Lens, and the African as the ‘Other’
Beatrice Abonga Ajok and Gloria Rashid Akello
Conclusion: Significance of Philosophy and Language in African Literature
Wilfred Lajul
About the Contributors

Editorial Reviews

This volume explores the nature of the relationship between African literatures, languages, and philosophies, or, as the editor, Wilfred Lajul, puts it, lsquo;the philosophy of language in African literature.’ Using selected examples of African poetry, novels and dramas by outstanding African writers such as Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Okot p#39;Bitek, Susan Kiguli, Jared Angira, and Mariama Ba, the contributors shed light on the relationship to the respective (linguistic) context of origin, the rootedness in worldviews and metaphysics as well as the problem of language choice, emphasizing the challenges and potentials within the plurality of African languages and the tension in colonial languages that African literature faces today.

Anke Graness

For those who would love to discover African thought and worldview through a creative use of language, Wilfred Lajul and the contributors of Philosophy, Language and Literature in an African Context are providing an incredibly refreshing menu of analytical work. They have excelled in presenting to the reader the expression of profound African values in a manner that is aesthetically enriching.

'swald K. Ndoleriire

For those who would love to discover African thought and worldview through a creative use of language, Wilfred Lajul and the contributors of Philosophy, Language and Literature in an African Context are providing an incredibly refreshing menu of analytical work. They have excelled in presenting to the reader the expression of profound African values in a manner that is aesthetically enriching.” —Oswald K. Ndoleriire, Kabale University

“This volume explores the nature of the relationship between African literatures, languages, and philosophies, or, as the editor, Wilfred Lajul, puts it, ‘the philosophy of language in African literature.’ Using selected examples of African poetry, novels and dramas by outstanding African writers such as Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Okot p'Bitek, Susan Kiguli, Jared Angira, and Mariama Ba, the contributors shed light on the relationship to the respective (linguistic) context of origin, the rootedness in worldviews and metaphysics as well as the problem of language choice, emphasizing the challenges and potentials within the plurality of African languages and the tension in colonial languages that African literature faces today.” —Anke Graness, University of Hildesheim

From the Publisher