
Postcolonial Literature and the Impact of Literacy
Reading and Writing in African and Caribbean Fiction
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
Postcolonial Literature and the Impact of Literacy
Reading and Writing in African and Caribbean Fiction
About this book
Examining images of literacy in African and West Indian novels, Neil ten Kortenaar looks at how postcolonial authors have thought about the act of writing itself. Writing arrived in many parts of Africa as part of colonization in the twentieth century, and with it a whole world of book-learning and paper-pushing; of school and bureaucracy; newspapers, textbooks and letters; candles, hurricane lamps and electricity; pens, paper, typewriters and printed type; and orthography developed for formerly oral languages. Writing only penetrated many layers of West Indian society in the same era. The range of writers is wide, and includes Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and V. S. Naipaul. The chapters rely on close reading of canonical novels, but discuss general themes and trends in African and Caribbean literature. Ten Kortenaar's sensitive and penetrating treatment of these themes makes this an important contribution to the growing field of postcolonial literary studies.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half-title
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 The coming of literacy: Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe
- Chapter 3 The contents of the tin trunk: Ìsarà by Wole Soyinka
- Chapter 4 Mr Biswas finds a home in the world on paper: V. S. Naipaul
- Chapter 5 Literacy in the world not ruled by paper: Myal by Erna Brodber
- Chapter 6 Southern Africa’s Houses of Hunger
- Chapter 7 Conclusion: the frontiers of writing
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index