Afro-Asian Literature Lecture

8/18/2019 Afro-Asian Literature Lecture

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MAJORSHIP

Area: ENGLISH

Focus: Afro-Asian Literature

Competencies:

1. be familiar with the literary history, philosophy, religious

beliefs, and culture of the fro!sian nations

". point out the uni#ersal themes, issues, and sub$ect matter thatdominate fro!sian literature

%. interpret the significance and meaning of selected literary

pieces

&. identify outstanding writers and their ma$or wor's

INDIA

1. Literary Periods. (he Indus )alley ci#ili*ation flourished in northern India between

"+ and 1+ -.. (he ryans, a group of nomadic warriors and herders, were theearliest 'nown migrants into India. (hey brought with them a well!de#eloped

language and literature and a set of religious beliefs.

a/ Vedic Period 01+ -.. + -../. (his period is named for the Vedas, a set of hymns that formed the cornerstone of ryan culture. Hindus consider the )edas,

which were transmitted orally by priests, to be the most sacred of all literature for

they belie#e these to ha#e been re#ealed to humans directly by the gods.

• (he Rigveda which has come to mean 2hymns of supreme sacred

'nowledge,3 is the foremost collection or Samhita made up of 1,"4 hymns.

(he oldest of the )edas, it contains strong, energetic, non!speculati#e hymns,

often comparable to the psalms in the 5ld (estament. (he Hindus regardthese hymns as di#inely inspired or 6heard7 directly from the gods.

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The Song of Creation

Then was not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no skybeyond it.

What covered it and where? And what gave shelter? Was water there,nfathomedmde!th of water?

"eath was not then nor was there aght immortal: no sign was there, theday#s and night#s divider.

That one thing, breathless, breathed by its own natre: a!art from it was

nothing whatsoever.

"arkness there was: at first concealed in darkness, this All was

indiscriminated chaos.

All that existed then was void and formless: by the great !ower of warmth was

born that nit.

b/ Epic and Buddhist Age 0+ -.. .9./. (he period of composition of the twogreat epics, Mahabharata and the Ramayana. (his time was also the growth of

later )edic literature, new Sans'rit literature, and -uddhist literature in :ali. (he

Dhammapada was also probably composed during this period. (he Maurya

Epire 0%""!"% -../ ruled by sho'a promoted -uddhism and preachedgoodness, non#iolence, and 6righteousness7 although this period was 'nown for

warfare and iron!fisted rule. (he !upta Dynasty 0%"!&;< -../ was the ne=t

great political power. 9uring this time, Hinduism reached a full flowering andwas e#ident in culture and the arts.

• (he Maha"harata, traditionally ascribed to the sage Vyasa, consists of a

mass of legendary and didactic material that tells of the struggle for

supremacy between two groups of cousins, the >aura#as and the :anda#as set

sometime %1" -. (he poem is made up of almost 1, couplets di#ided

into 14 !arvans or sections. It is an e=position on dharma 0codes of conduct/,including the proper conduct of a 'ing, of a warrior, of a man li#ing in times

of calamity, and of a person see'ing to attain emancipation from rebirth.

• (he Bhagavad !ita 0(he -lessed Lord7s Song/ is one of the greatest and

most beautiful of the Hindu scriptures. It is regarded by the Hindus in

somewhat the same way as the Gospels are by hristians. It forms part of

-oo' I) and is written in the form of a dialogue between the warrior :rincer$una and his friend and charioteer, >rishna, who is also an earthly

incarnation of the god )ishnu.

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From the Bhagavad!ita

Ar"una: $rishna, what defines a man% dee! in contem!lation whose insight%and thoght are sre? &ow wold he s!eak?% &ow wold he sit? &ow

wold he move?

#ord $rishna: When he gives ! desires in his mind,% is content with the selfwithin himself,% then he is said to be a man% whose insight is sre, Ar'na.

When sffering does not distrb his mind,% when his craving for !leasres has

vanished,% when attraction, fear, and anger are gone,% he is called a sagewhose thoght is sre.

• (he Raayana was composed in Sans'rit, probably not before % -, by

the poet Va#i$i and consists of some "&, couplets di#ided into se#en boo's. It reflects the Hindu #alues and forms of social organi*ation, the

theory of 'arma, the ideals of wifehood, and feelings about caste, honor and

promises.

(he poem describes the royal birth of Raa, his tutelage under the sage

)is#amitra, and his success in bending Si#a7s mighty bow, thus winning %ita,the daughter of >ing ?ana'a, for his wife. fter @ama is banished from his

position as heir by an intrigue, he retreats to the forest with his wife and his

half brother, La'smana. (here @a#ana, the demon!'ing of Lan'a, carries offSita, who resolutely re$ects his attentions. fter numerous ad#entures @ama

slays @a#ana and rescues Sita. Ahen they return to his 'ingdom, howe#er,

@ama learns that the people Buestion the Bueen7s chastity, and he banishes her

to the forest where she gi#es birth to @ama7s two sons. (he family is reunitedwhen the sons come of age, but Sita, after again protesting her innocence, as's

to be recei#ed by the earth, which swallows her up.

From the Ramayana: %Brother&s Faithfu'ness(

(f my elder and his lady to the !athless forests wend, Armed with bow and am!le )iver *akshman will on them attend,

Where the wild deer range the forest and the lordly tskers roam,

And the bird of gorgeos !lmage nestles in its 'ngle home,

"earer far to me those woodlands where !erennial bliss !revails+rant me then thy sweet !ermission, - faithfl to thy glorios star,

*akshman, shall not wait and tarry when his ama wanders far,

rant me then thy loving mandate, - *akshman hath no wish to stay, one shall bar the faithfl yonger when the elder leads the way+

c/ assica# Period 0.9. 1 .9./. (he main literary language of northernIndia during this period was Sans)rit , in contrast with the Dravidian languages of

southern India. Sans'rit, which means 6perfect speech7 is considered a sacred

language, the language spo'en by the gods and goddesses. s such, Sans'rit was

seen as the only appropriate language for the noblest literary wor's. :oetry and

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drama pea'ed during this period. -east fables such as the *anchatantra were

popular and often used by religious teachers to illustrate moral points.

• (he Panchatantra is a collection of Indian beast fables originally written in

Sans'rit. In Europe, the wor' was 'nown under the title The Fab'es of

Bidpai after the narrator, and Indian sage named Bidpai, 0called )idyapati in

Sans'rit/. It is intended as a te=tboo' of artha 0worldly wisdom/C theaphorisms tend to glorify shrewdness and cle#erness more than helping of

others. (he original te=t is a mi=ture of Sans'rit prose and stan*as of #erse,

with the stories contained within one of fi#e frae stories. (he introduction,which acts as an enclosing frame for the entire wor', attributes the stories to a

learned -rahman named )ishnusarman, who used the form of animal fables to

instruct the three dull!witted sons of a 'ing.

From the *anchatantra: % RightMind and +rongMind(

The good and bad of given schemes% wise thoght mst first reveal: the st!id

heron saw his chicks% !rovide a mongoose meal.

• %a$unta#a' a Sans'rit drama by (a#idasa' tells of the lo#e between

Sa'untala and >ing 9ushyanta. Ahat begins as a physical attraction for both

of them becomes spiritual in the end as their lo#e endures and surpasses alldifficulties. >ing 9ushyanta is a noble and pious 'ing who upholds his duties

abo#e personal desire. Sa'untala, on the other hand, is a young girl who

matures beautifully because of her 'indness, courage, and strength of will.fter a period of suffering, the two are e#entually reunited. Emotion or rasa

dominates e#ery scene in Sans'rit drama. (hese emotions #ary from lo#e to

anger, heroism to cowardice, $oy to terror and allows the audience to ta'e part

in the play and be one with the characters.

,-cerpt from Sa)unta'a)

$ing. /o are too modest. ( feel honored by the mere sight of yo.

Sha)unta'a. Ansya, my foot is ct on a shar! blade of grass, and my dress

is caght on an amaranth twig. Wait for me while ( loosen it. 0She casts a

lingering glance at the king, and goes ot with her two friends.1

$ing. 0sighing1. They are gone. And ( mst go. The sight of Shakntala has

made me dread the retrn to the city. ( will make my men cam! at a distance

from the !ios grove. 2t ( cannot trn my own thoghts from Shakntala.

(t is my body leaves my love, not (3% 4y body moves away, bt not mymind3

5or back to her strggling fancies fly% *ike silken banners borne against the

wind. 06xit.1

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• *he Litt#e ay &art /Mrccha)ati)a0 is attributed to %hudra$a, a 'ing. (he

characters in this play include a -rahman merchant who has lost his money

through liberality, a rich courtesan in lo#e with a poor young man, muchdescription of resplendent palaces, and both comic and tragic or near!tragic

emotional situations.

*R1#1!2, 02enediction !on the adience1

4ay &is, may Shiva7s meditation be/or strong defense3 on the reat Self thinks he,

$nowing fll well the world7s vacity.

And again:

4ay Shiva7s neck shield yo from every harm,That seems a threatening thnder-clod, whereon,

2right as the lightning-flash, lies ari7s arm.

d/ Medieva# and Modern Age 0.9. 1 present/. :ersian influence onliterature was considerable during this period. :ersian was the court language of

the Doslem rulers. In the 14th century India was directly under the -ritish rownand remained so until its Independence in 1&


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(n this world, contless !eo!le have loved.

Who says their !assions weren#t tre?

They 'st coldn#t afford a !blic dis!lay like this.

• ,n Learning to "e an Indian an essay by Santha @ama @au illustrates the

telling effects of coloni*ation on the li#es of the people particularly theyounger generation. (he writer humorously narrates the conflicts that arise

between her grandmothers traditional Indian #alues and the author7s own

-ritish upbringing.

2ecase 4other had to fight against the old standards, and becase she was

broght ! to believe in them, she has an emotional nderstanding of them

which my sister ( will never have. 2roght ! in 6ro!e and edcated in !re!aratory and !blic schools in 6ngland, we felt that the conventions were

not only retrogressive and socially cri!!ling to the contry bt also a little

ridiclos.

". Re#igions. Indian creati#ity is e#ident in religion as the country is the birthplace of

two important faiths Hinduism, the dominant religion, and -uddhism, whichironically became e=tinct in India but spread throughout sia.

a/ induis, literally 2the belief of the people of India,3 is the predominant faith of

India and of no other nation. (he Hindus are deeply absorbed with God and thecreation of the uni#erse.

(he *urusarthas are the three ends of man dharma #irtue, duty,

righteousness, moral lawC artha wealthC and )ama lo#e or pleasure. fourth

end is mo)sha the renunciation of duty, wealth and lo#e in order to see'spiritual perfection. It is achie#ed after the release from samsara, the cycle of

births and deaths. (he Hindus belie#e that all reality is one and spiritual, and thateach indi#idual soul is identical with this reality and shares its characteristics pure being, intelligence, and bliss. E#erything that seems to di#ide the soul from

this reality is maya or illusion.

Life is #iewed as an upward de#elopment through four stages of effortcalled the four asramas a/ the student stage applies to the rite of initiation into

the study of the )edasC b/ the househo#der stage marries and fulfills the duties

as head of the family where he begets sons and earns a li#ingC c/ the stage of the

forest de##er departs from home and renounces the social worldC and d/

ascetic stops performing any of the rituals or social duties of life in the world

and de#otes time for reflection and meditation.

$ama refers to one of the proper pursuits of man in his role ashouseholder, that of pleasure and lo#e. (he $amasutra is a classic te=tboo' on

erotics and other forms of pleasure and lo#e, which is attributed to the sage

Vatsyayana.(he Hindus regard Purusha, the ni#ersal Spirit, as the soul and original

source of the uni#erse. s the uni#ersal soul, :urusha is the life!gi#ing principle

in all animated beings. s a personified human being, :urushas body is the

source of all creation. (he four Varnas ser#e as the theoretical basis for the

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.

Thought

As a fletcher makes straight his arrow, a wise man makes straight histrembling and nsteady thoght which is difficlt to gard, difficlt to hold

back.

As a fish taken from his watery home and thrown on the dry grond, orthoght trembles all over in order to esca!e the dominion of 4ara, the tem!ter.

(t is good to tame the mind, which is difficlt to hold in and flighty, rshing

wherever it listeth3 a tamed mind brings ha!!iness. *et the wise man gard his thoghts, for they are difficlt to !erceive, very

artfl, and they rsh wherever they list: thoghts well garded bring

ha!!iness.

Those who bridle their mind which travels far, moves abot alone, is withot abody, and hides in the chamber of the heart, will be free from the bonds of

4ara, the tem!ter

%. Ma+or 1riters.

a/ (a#idasa a Sans'rit poet and dramatist is probably the greatest Indian writer ofall time. s with most classical Indian authors, little is 'nown about >alidasa7s

person or his historical relationships. His poems suggest that he was a -rahman

0priest/. Dany wor's are traditionally ascribed to the poet, but scholars ha#eidentified only si= as genuine.

b/ Ra"indranath *agore 014;1!1&1/. (he son of a Great Sage, (agore is a

-engali poet and mystic who won the Nobel :ri*e for Literature in 11%. (agore

managed his fathers estates and li#ed in close contact with the #illagers. Hissympathy for their po#erty and bac'wardness was later reflected in his wor's.

(he death of his wife and two children brought him years of sadness but this also

inspired some of his best poety. (agore is also a gifted composer and a painter.c/ Pre &hand pseudonym of Dhanpat Rai %rivastava 0144!1%;/. Indian

author of numerous no#els and short stories in Hindi and rdu who pioneered in

adapting Indian themes to Aestern literary styles. He wor'ed as a teacher before $oining Dahatma Gandhi7s anticolonial Noncooperation Do#ement.

• Sevasadana 0House of Ser#ice/. His first ma$or no#el deals with the

problems of prostitution and moral corruption among the Indian middle class.

• Manasarovar 0(he Holy La'e/. collection of "+ or so short stories which

contains most of :rem hand7s best wor's.

• !odan 0(he Gift of a ow/. (his last no#el was :rem hand7s masterpiece

and it deals with his fa#orite theme the hard and unrewarding life of the#illage peasant.



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d/ (aa#a Mar$andaya 01"&/. Her wor's concern the struggles of contemporary

Indians with conflicting Eastern and Aestern #alues. -rahman, she studied at

Dadras ni#ersity then settled in England and married an Englishman. In herfiction, Aestern #alues typically are #iewed as modern and materialistic, and

Indian #alues as spiritual and traditional.

• 4ectar in a Sieve. Her first no#el and most popular wor' is about an Indian

peasant7s narrati#e of her difficult life.

e/ R. (. Narayan 01;/. 5ne of the finest Indian authors of his generation writing

in English. He briefly wor'ed as a teacher before deciding to de#ote himselffull!time to writing. ll of Narayan7s wor's are set in the fictitious South Indian

town of Dalgudi. (hey typically portray the peculiarities of human relationships

and the ironies of Indian daily life, in which modern urban e=istence clashes with

ancient tradition. His style is graceful, mar'ed by genial humor, elegance, andsimplicity.

• S5ami and Friends. His first no#el is an episodic narrati#e recounting the

ad#entures of a group of schoolboys.

• No#els The ,ng'ish Teacher /67890 +aiting for the Mahatma /67990 The!uide /679;0 The Man,ater of Ma'gudi /67


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A. &INA

1. istorica# Bac$ground. hinese literature reflects the political and social history

of hina and the impact of powerful religions that came from within and outside the

country. Its tradition goes bac' thousand of years and has often been inspired by philosophical Buestions about the meaning of life, how to li#e ethically in society,

and how to li#e in spiritual harmony with the natural order of the uni#erse.

a/ %hang Dynasty 01; -../. 9uring this time, the people practiced a

religion based on the belief that nature was inhabited by many powerful gods and

spirits. mong the significant ad#ances of this period were bron*e wor'ing,

decimal system, a twel#e!month calendar and a system of writing consisting of%, characters.

b/ &hou Dynasty 011 -.. ""1 -../. (his was the longest of all the

dynasties and throughout most of this period hina suffered from se#ere politicaldisunity and uphea#al. (his era was also 'nown as the Hundred Schools period

because of the many competing philosophers and teachers who emerged the mostinfluential among them being Lao (*u, the proponent of (aoism, and onfucius,

the founder of onfucianism. Lao (*u stressed freedom, simplicity, and the

mystical contemplation of nature whereas onfucius emphasi*ed a code of socialconduct and stressed the importance of discipline, morality, and 'nowledge.

*he Boo$ of %ongs' /Shih Ching0 first compiled in the ;th century -.., is the

oldest collection of hinese poetry and is considered a model of poetice=pression and moral insight. (he poems include court songs that entertained the

aristocracy, story songs that recounted hou dynasty legends, hymns that were

sung in the temples accompanied by dance and brief fol' songs and ballads.lthough these poems were originally meant to be sung, their melodies ha#e

long been lost.

1 1rio'e e''o5 Bird

8 oriole, yellow bird,% "o not settle on the corn,

"o not !eck at my millet.% The !eo!le of this land

Are not minded to nrtre me.% ( mst go back, go homeTo my own land and kin.

(he Para"#es of the Ancient Phi#osophers illustrate the (aoist belief and thehumanism of the hinese thought. In them can be seen the relati#ity of all things

as they pass through man7s $udgment, the #irtues of fle=ibility, and the

drawbac's of material progress.

The Missing A-e by *ieh T9

A man whose axe was missing ss!ected his neighbor#s son. The boy walked like

a thief, looked like a thief, and s!oke like a thief. 2t the man fond his axe



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while he was digging in the valley, and the next time he saw his neighbor#s son,

the boy walked, looked, and s!oke like any other child.

c/ &h2in Dynasty 0""1 -.. "< -../. (his period saw the unification of

hina and the strengthening of central go#ernment. @oads connecting all parts

of the empire were built and the e=isting walls on the northern borders wereconnected to form the Great Aall of hina.

d/ an Dynasty 0"< -.. .9. ""/. (his period was one of the mostglorious eras of hinese history and was mar'ed by the introduction of

-uddhism from India.

e/ *2ang Dynasty 0.9. ;14!;/. Jine arts and literature flourished duringthis era which is #iewed as the Golden ge of hinese ci#ili*ation. mong the

technological ad#ances of this time were the in#ention of gunpowder and the

bloc' printing.

*he *2ang Poets. hinese lyrical poetry reached its height during the (7ang

9ynasty. Inspired by scenes of natural beauty, (7ang poets wrote about thefragile blossoms in spring, the falling of lea#es in autumn, or the changing shape

of the moon.

Conversation in the Mountains by *i o (f yo were to ask me why ( dwell among green montains,

( shold lagh silently3 my sol is serene.

The !each blossom follows the moving water3There is another heaven and earth beyond the world of men.

A Meeting by T 5We were often se!arated &ow long does yoth last?

*ike the "i!!er and the morning star. ow we are all gray-haired.

What night is tonight? &alf of or friends are dead,We are together in the candlelight. And both of s were sr!rised when

we met.

f/ %ung Dynasty 0.9. ; 1"


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established. (here was a growth of drama in colloBuial language and a decline

of the language of learning. second foreign dynasty, the h7ing was

established and hina prospered as its population rapidly increased causingma$or problems for its go#ernment.

h/ *raditiona# &hinese !overnent. (he imperial rule lasted in hina foro#er ", years leading to a pyramid!shaped hierarchy in the go#ernment. (he

emperor, 'nown as the Son of Hea#en, was a hereditary ruler and beneath him

were bureaucratic officials. n official go#ernment career was considered prestigious and the selection was by means of go#ernment e=aminations. (he

ci#il ser#ice e=aminations tested on the ma$or hinese wor's of philosophy and

poetry reBuiring the composition for #erse. Dost go#ernment officials were

well!#ersed in literature and philosophy and many famous hinese poets alsoser#ed in the go#ernment.

". Phi#osophy and Re#igion. hinese literature and all of hinese culture has been

profoundly influenced by three great schools of thought onfucianism, (aoism, and-uddhism. nli'e Aestern religions, hinese religions are based on the perception

of life as a process of continual change in which opposing forces, such as hea#en andearth or light and dar', balance one another. (hese opposites are symboli*ed by the

in and ang . in, the passi#e and feminine force, counterbalances yang , the acti#e

and masculine force, each contains a 6seed7 of the other, as represented in thetraditional yinyang symbol.

a/ &onfucianis pro#ides the hinese with both a moral order and an order

for the uni#erse. It is not a religion but it ma'es indi#iduals aware of their placein the world and the beha#ior appropriate to it. It also pro#ides a political and

social philosophy.

&onfucius was hina7s most famous teacher, philosopher, and political theorist,

whose ideas ha#e influenced all ci#ili*ations of East sia. ccording to tradition,

onfucius came from an impo#erished family of the lower nobility. He became aminor go#ernment bureaucrat but was ne#er gi#e a position of high office. He

critici*ed go#ernment policies and spent the greater part of his life educating a

group of disciples. onfucius was not a religious leader in the ordinary sense, for

his teaching was essentially a social ethic. onfucian politics is hierarchical butnot absolute and the political system is described by analogy with the family.

(here are fi#e 'ey onfucian relationships emperor and sub$ect, father and son,

husband and wife, older brother and younger brother, friend and friend.

onfucian ethics is humanist. (he following are onfucian tenets a/ "en or

human heartedness are Bualities or forms of beha#ior that set men abo#e the restof the life on earth. It is the uniBue goodness of man which animals cannot aspire

to. lso 'nown as ren, it is the measure of indi#idual character and such, is the

goal of self!culti#ation. (he ideal indi#idual results from acting according to li, b/

'i refers to ritual, custom, propriety, and manner. *i is thought to be the means by



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which life should be regulated. person of li is a good person and a state ordered

by li is a harmonious and peaceful state. #i or de as a #irtue is best understood as

a sacred power inherent in the #ery presence of the sage. (he sage was theinspiration for proper conduct and the model of beha#ior.

(he Ana#ects /#un u0 is one of the four onfucian te=ts. (he sayings rangefrom brief statements to more e=tended dialogues between onfucius and his

students. onfucius belie#es that people should culti#ate the inherent goodness

within themsel#es unselfishness, courage, and honor as an ideal of uni#ersalmoral and social harmony. (he nalects instructs on moderation in all things

through moral education, the building of a harmonious family life, and the

de#elopment of #irtues such as loyalty, obedience, and a sense of $ustice. It also

emphasi*es filial piety and concern with social and religious rituals. (oonfucius, a person7s inner #irtues can be fully reali*ed only through concrete

acts of 6ritual propriety7 or proper beha#ior toward other human beings.

From The Ana'ects /33.60The 4aster said, ;&e who exercises government by means of his virte may be

com!ared to the north !olar star, which kee!s its !lace and all the stars trntowards it.<

(he Boo$ of &hanges /3 Ching0 is one of the 5ive =lassics of onfucian philosophy and has been primarily used for di#ination. (his boo' is based on the

concept of change the one constant of the uni#erse. lthough change is ne#er!

ending, it too proceeds according to certain uni#ersal and obser#able patterns.

b/ *aois, was e=pounded by Lao (*u during the hou 9ynasty. (aoist

beliefs and influences are an important part of classical hinese culture. 2(he

(ao3 or 2(he Aay3 means the natural course that the world follows. (o followthe tao of to 2go with the flow3 is both wisdom and happiness. Jor the (aoist,

unhappiness comes from parting from the tao or from trying to flout it.

(he (aoist political ideas are #ery passi#e the good 'ing does nothing, and by

this e#erything is done naturally. (his idea presents an interesting foil to

onfucian theories of state, although the (aoists ne#er represented any political

threat to the onfucianists. Ahereas onfucianism stressed conformity andreason in sol#ing human problems, (aoism stressed the indi#idual and the need

for human beings to conform to nature rather than to society.

Lao-t3u. >nown as the 2old philosopher3, Lao!*i is credited as the founder of

(aoism and an elder contemporary of onfucius who once consulted with him.

He was more pessimistic than onfucius was about what can be accomplished inthe world by human action. He counseled a far more passi#e approach to the

world and one7s fellows one must be cautious and let things spea' for

themsel#es. He fa#ored a more direct relationship between the indi#idual self and

the dao.



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(he *ao-*e &hing 4assic of the 1ay of Poer5 is belie#ed to ha#e been

written between the 4th and %rd centuries -.. (he basic concept of the dao is 5u5ei or 2non!action3 which means no unnatural action, rather than complete

passi#ity. It implies spontaneity, non!interference, letting things ta'e their natural

course i.e., 29o nothing and e#erything else is done.3 haos ceases, Buarrels end,and self!righteous feuding disappears because the dao is allowed to flow

unchallenged.

Rea'ie the Simp'e Se'f

2anish wisdom, discard knowledge,

And the !eo!le shall !rofit a hndredfold3

2anish love, discard 'stice, And the !eo!le shall recover the love of

their kin3

2anish cnning discard tility,

And the thieves and brigands shalldisa!!ear.

As these three toch the externals and areinade)ate3

The !eo!le have need of what

they can de!end !on:

eveal thy Sim!le Self, 6mbrace the 8riginal

atre,

=heck thy selfishness,

=rtail thy desires.

c/ Buddhis was imported from India during the Han dynasty. -uddhistthought stresses the importance of ridding oneself of earthly desires and of

see'ing ultimate peace and enlightenment through detachment. Aith its stress on

li#ing ethically and its de!emphasis on material concerns, -uddhism appealed to

both onfucians and (aoists.

%. !enres in &hinese Poetry has always been highly #alued in hinese culture and was

considered superior to prose. hief among its characteristics are lucidity, bre#ity,subtlety, suggesti#eness or understatement, and its three!fold appeal to intellect,

emotion, and calligraphy. (here are fi#e principle genres in hinese poetry

b/ shih was the dominant hinese poetic form from the "nd through the 1"th century characteri*ed by i/ an e#en number of linesC ii/ the same number of words

in each line, in most cases fi#e or se#enC and iii/ the occurrence of rhymes at the

end s of the e#en!numbered lines. Shih poems often in#ol#e the use of parallelism,

or couplets that are similar in structure or meaning.c/ sao was inspired by 'i sao or 6encountering sorrow7, a poem of lamentation and

protest authored by hina7s first 'nown great poet, hu Kuan 0%%"!"+ -../. It

was an unusually long poem consisting of two parts i/ an autobiographical accountthat is onfucian in o#ertonesC and ii/ a narration of an imaginary $ourney

underta'en by the persona. (he sao enables the poets to display their creati#ity of

describing hina7s flora and fauna, both real and imaginary. It is also filled withmelancholia for unrewarded #irtue

d/ fu was a poem partially e=pository and partly descripti#e in#ol#ing a single thought

or sentiment usually e=pressed in a reflecti#e manner. Language ranges from the

simple to the rhetorical.

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e/ #u-shih or 6regulation poetry7 was de#eloped during the (ang dynasty but has

remained popular e#en in the present times. It is an octa#e consisting of fi#e or

se#en syllabic #erses with a definite rhyming scheme with all e#en lines rhymingtogether and the presence of the caesura in e#ery line. (he first four lines of this

poem is the ching 0scene/ while the remaining four lines describe the ch&ing

0emotion/. (hus, emotion e#ol#es from the setting or atmosphere and the two becomes fused resulting in a highly focused reflection of the persona7s loneliness

but with determination to struggle.

f/ chueh-chu or truncated poetry is a shorter #ersion of the 'ushih and was also popular during the (ang dynasty. It contains only four lines but within its twenty or

twenty!eight syllables or characters were #i#id pictures of natural beauty.

g/ t3u was identified with the Sung dynasty. It is not go#erned by a fi=ed number of

#erses nor a fi=ed number of characters per #erse. (he t9 lyrics were sung to thetunes of popular melodies.

&. &onventions of &hinese *heater. hinese drama may be traced to the song and

dances of the chi 0wi*ards/ and the 5u 0witches/ whom the people consulted toe=ercise e#il spirits, to bring rain, to insure bountiful har#est, etc., an origin in worship

or in some sacred ritual.a/ (here are four principal roles sheng tau ching and chao.

• (he sheng is the prerogati#e of the leading actor, usually a male character, a

scholar, a statesman, a warrior patriot and the li'e.

• (he tau plays all the women7s roles. t least si= principal characters are

played by the female impersonator who has ta'en o#er the role after women

were banned from the hinese stage as they were loo'ed down upon as

courtesen.

• (he ching roles usually assigned the roles of bra#e warriors, bandits, crafty

and e#il ministers, upright $udges, loyal statesmen, at times god!li'e andsupernatural beings. on#entionally, the ching must ha#e broad faces and

forehead suitable for the ma'e!up patters suggesti#e of his beha#ior.

• (he chau is the clown or $ester who is not necessarily a fool and may also do

serious or e#il character. He is easily recogni*ed for the white patch around his

eyes and nose, his use of colloBuial language and adeptness in combining

mimicry and acrobatics. b/ nli'e Gree' plays, classical hinese plays do not follow the unities of time,

place, and action. (he plot may be set in two or more places, the time element

sometimes ta'ing years to de#elop or end, and action containing many other sub! plots.

c/ hinese drama con#eys an ethical lesson in the guise of art in order to impress amoral truth or a onfucian tenet. 9ramas uphold #irtue, condemn #ice, praise

fidelity, and filial piety. )ice is represented on the stage not for its own sa'e butas contrast to #irtue.

d/ (here are two types of speeches the dialogue, usually in prose, and the

monologues. Ahile the dialogue carries forward the action of the day, themonologue is the means for each character to introduce himherself at the

beginning of the first scene of e#ery scene as well as to outline the plot.

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e/ hinese plays are long si= or se#en hours if performed completely. (he

a#erage length is about four acts with a prologue and an epilogue. (he hinese

play is a tota# theater. (here is singing, recitation of #erses, acrobats, dancing,and playing of traditional musical instruments.

f/ Dusic is an integral part of the classical drama. It has recitati#es, arias, and

musical accompaniment. hinese music is based on mo#ement and rhythm thatharmoni*ed perfectly with the sentiments being con#eyed by a character.

g/ (he poetic dialogue, hsieh tu 0wedge/, is placed at the beginning or in between

acts and is an integral part of the play.(he stage is bare of props e=cept a table and a pair of chairs may be con#erted to

a battlefield or a court scene, a bedroom, e#en a prison through #i#id acting and

poetry.

:roperty con#entions are rich in symbolism table with a chair at the side, both placed at

the side of the stage, represents a hill or a high wall.

h/ 9ramatic con#entions that ser#e to identify the nature and function of each

character.Da'e!up identifies the characters and personalities. ostumes help re#eal types

anddifferent colors signify ran's and status.

i/ ction reflects highly styli*ed mo#ements. Hand mo#ements may indicate

embarrassment or helplessness or anguish or anger.

+. Ma+or &hinese 1riters.

• &huang *3u 0&th century -../ was the most important early interpreter of the

philosophy of (aoism. )ery little is 'nown about his life e=cept that he ser#ed as aminor court official. In his stories, he appears as a Buir'y character who cares little

for either public appro#al or material possessions.• Lieh *3u 0&th century -../ was a (aoist teacher who had many philosophical

differences with his forebears Lao!(*u and huan (*u. He argued that a seBuenceof causes predetermines e#erything that happens, including one7s choice of action.

• Lui An 01


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• *u 0u 0


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a/ !iri connotes duty, $ustice, honor, face, decency, respectability, courtesy, charity,

humanity, lo#e, gratitude, claim. Its sanctions are found in mores, customs,

fol'ways. Jor e=ample, in feudal ?apan 6loss of face7 is sa#ed by suicide or#endetta, if not renouncing the world in the monastery.

b/ 1n suggests a sense of obligation or indebtedness which propels a ?apanese to act,

as it binds the person perpetually to other indi#iduals to the group, to parents,teachers, superiors, and the emperor.

&. Poetry is one of the oldest and most popular means of e=pression and communicationin the ?apanese culture. It was an integral part of daily life in ancient ?apanese society,

ser#ing as a means through which anyone could chronicle e=periences and e=press

emotions

a/ (he Manyoshu or 6-oo' of (en (housand Lea#es is an anthology by poets from awide range of social classes, including the peasantry, the clergy, and the ruling

class.

b/ (here are different poems according to set forms or structures

•

cho$a are poems that consist of alternate lines of fi#e and se#en syllables with anadditional se#en!syllable line at the end. (here is no limit to the number of lines

which end with envoys, or pithy summations. (hese en#oys consist of +!

poem.

• tan$a is the most pre#alent #erse form in traditional ?apanese literature. It

consists of fi#e lines of +!

often tell a brief story or e=press a single thought or insight and the common

sub$ects are lo#e and nature.

,very Sing'e Thing 0by riest Saigyo1

6very single thing

=hanges and is changing

Always in this world./et with the same light

The moon goes on shining.

@o5 @e'p'ess My @eart0by 8no $omachi1

&ow hel!less my heart+

Were the stream to tem!t,

4y body, like a reed Severed at the roots,

Wold drift along, ( think.

• renga is a chain of interloc'ing tan'a. Each tan'a within a renga was di#ided

into #erses of 1< and 1& syllables composed by different poets as it was

fashionable for groups of poets to wor' together during the age of ?apanesefeudalism.

• ho$$u was the opening #erse of a renga which de#eloped into a distinct literary

form 'nown as the hai$u. (he hai'u consist of % lines of +!

characteri*ed by precision, simplicity, and suggesti#eness. lmost all hai'uinclude a )igo or seasonal words such as snow or cherry blossoms that indicates

the time of year being described.



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Buson

2lossoms on the !ear3and a woman in the moonlight

reads a letter there

So)an

(f to the moonone !ts a handle @ what

a s!lendid fan+

1nitsura

6ven stones in streams

of montain water com!ose songs to wild cherries.

+. Prose appeared in the early part of the 4th century focusing on ?apanese history.

9uring the Heian ge, the members of the Imperial court, ha#ing few administrati#eor political duties, 'ept lengthy diaries and e=perimented with writing fiction.

• *he *a#e of !en+i by Lady Murasa$i %hi$i"u, a wor' of tremendous length

and comple=ity, is considered to be the world7s first true no#el. It traces thelife of a gifted and charming prince. Lady Durasa'i was an e=traordinary

woman far more educated than most upper!class men of her generation. She

was appointed to ser#e in the royal court of the emperor.

• *he *a#e of ai$e written by an anonymous author during the 1%th century was

the most famous early ?apanese no#el. It presents a stri'ing portrait of war!

torn ?apan during the early stages of the age of feudalism.

• Essays in Id#eness by 9oshida (en$o was written during the age of

feudalism. It is a loosely organi*ed collection of insights, reflections, and

obser#ations, written during the 1&th century. >en'o was born into a high!

ran'ing Shinto family and became a -uddhist priest.

,-cerpt from ,ssays in 3d'eness:

(n all things it is 2eginning and 6nd that are interesting. The love of men and

women @ is it only when they meet face to face? To feel sorrow at annaccom!lished meeting, to grieve over em!ty vows, to s!end the long night

slee!less and alone, to yearn for distant skies, in a neglected hose to think

fondly of the !ast @ this is what love is.

• In the !rove by Ryunusu$e A$utagaa is the author7s most famous story

made into the film @ashomon. (he story as's these Buestions Ahat is the

truthM Aho tells the truthM How is the truth falsifiedM Si= narrators tell theirown testimonies about the death of a husband and the #iolation of his wife in

the woods. (he narrators include a woodcutter, a mon', an old woman, the

mother!in!law of the slain man, the wife, and finally, the dead man whose storyis spo'en through the mouth of a shamaness. 'utagawa7s ability to blend a

feudal setting with deep psychological insights gi#es this story an ageless

Buality.



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An ,-cerpt: %The Story 1f The Murdered Man As To'd Through A

Medium(

After violating my wife, the robber, sitting there, began to s!eak comfortingwords to her. 8f corse ( coldn#t s!eak. 4y whole body was tied fast to the

root of a cedar. 2t meanwhile ( winked at her many times, as mch as to say,

;"on#t believe the robber.< ( wanted to convey some sch meaning to her. 2tmy wife, sitting de'ectedly on the bamboo leaves, was looking hard at her la!.

To all a!!earances, she was listening to his words. ( was agoni9ed by

'ealosy.<

;. Draa.a/ N7 plays emerged during the 1&th century as the earliest form of ?apanese drama.

(he plays are performed on an almost bare stage by a small but elaboratelycostumed cast of actors wearing mas's. (he actors are accompanied by a chorus

and the plays are written either in #erse or in highly poetic prose. (he dramas

reflect many Shinto and -uddhist beliefs, along with a number of dominant

?apanese artistic preferences. (he N performers7 subtle e=pressions of innerstrength, along with the beauty of the costumes, the eloBuence of the dancing, the

mesmeri*ing Buality of the singing, and the mystical, almost supernatural,atmosphere of the performances, has enabled the N theater to retain its

popularity.

Atsuori by %eai Moto$iyo is drawn from an episode of The Ta'e of the @ei)e, a medie#al ?apanese epic based on historical fact that tells the story of the

rise and fall of the (aira family, otherwise 'nown as the Hei'e. (he play ta'es

place by the sea of Ichi no tani. priest named @ensei, who was once a warriorwith the Gen$i clan, has decided to return to the scene of the battle to pray for a

si=teen!year!old named tsumori, whom he 'illed on the beach during the battle.

@ensei had ta'en pity on tsumori and had almost refrained from 'illing him. Hereali*ed though that if he did not 'ill the boy, his fellow warriors would. He

e=plained to tsumori that he must 'ill him, and promised to pray for his soul.

5n his return, he meets two peasants who are returning home from their fields and@ensai ma'es an astonishing disco#ery about one of them.

An ,-cerpt from Atsumori

=hors: ATSB48( rises from the grond and advances toward the riest with!lifted sword.C

;There is my enemy,< he cries, and wold strike,

2t the other is grown gentle And calling on 2ddha#s name

&as obtained salvation for his foe3

So that they shall be reborn together8n one lots seat.

;o, ensai is not my enemy.

ray for me again, oh !ray for me again.<

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b/ (a"u$i in#ol#es li#ely, melodramatic acting and is staged using elaborate and

colorful costumes and sets. It is performed with the accompaniment of an

orchestra and generally focus on the li#es of common people rather thanaristocrats.

c/ 6orori 0now called Bunra$u/ is staged using puppets and was a great influence

on the de#elopment of the >abu'i.d/ (yogen is a farce traditionally performed between the N tragedies.

a*u'o, a young woman born to gentility but now

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impo#erished. (hough she wears Aestern clothes, her outloo' is ?apaneseC her life

is static, and she recogni*es that she is spiritually empty. In the course of the

no#el, she sur#i#es the deaths of her aristocratic mother and her sensiti#e, drug!addicted brother Nao$i, an intellectual ra#age by his own and society7s spiritual

failures. She also spends a sad, sordid night with the writer ehara, and she

concei#es a child in the hope that it will be the first step in a moral re#olution• In the !rove by A$utagaa is the author7s most famous story made into the film

@ashomon. (he story as's these Buestions Ahat is the truthM Aho tells the truthM

How is the truth falsifiedM Si= narrators tell their own testimonies about the deathof a husband and the #iolation of his wife in the woods. (he narrators include a

woodcutter, a mon', an old woman, the mother!in!law of the slain man, the wife,

and finally, the dead man whose story is spo'en through the mouth of a shamaness.

'utagawa7s ability to blend a feudal setting with deep psychological insightsgi#es this story an ageless Buality.

• *he 1i#d !eese by ,agi is a melodramatic no#el set in (o'yo at the threshold of

the "th century. (he no#el e=plores the blighted life of 5tama, daughter of a ca'e

#endor. -ecause of e=treme po#erty, she becomes the mistress of a policeman, andlater on of a money!lender, Sha*o. In her desire to rise from the pitfall of shame

and depri#ation, she tries to befriend 5'ada, a medical student who she greets

e#ery day by the window as he passes by on his way to the campus. She isdisillusioned howe#er, as 5'ada, in the end, prepares for further medical studies in

Germany. 5gai7s no#el follows the traditio of the 5ata)ushishosetsu or the

confessional I! no#el where the storyteller is the main character.

• *he Buddha *ree by 0uio alludes to the awa'ening of -uddha under the bo tree

when he gets enlightened after fasting & days and nights. Similarly, the hero of

the no#el, Soshu, attains self!illumination after freeing himself from the way of all

flesh. (he author was inspired by personal tragedies that befell their family and

this no#el ma'es him transcend his personal agony into artistic achie#ement.

4. Ma+or 1riters.

• %eai Moto$iyo had acting in his blood for his father >anami, a priest, was one of

the finest performers of his day. t age " not long after his father7s death, he too'

o#er his father7s acting school and began to write plays. Some say he became a Oen

priest late in lifeC others say he had two sons, both of them actors. ccording tolegend, he died alone at the age of 41 in a -uddhist temple near >yoto.

• *he ai$u Poets

- Matsuo Bash7 01;&& 1;&/ is regarded as the greatest hai'u poet. He was born into a samurai family and began writing poetry at an early age. fter

becoming a Oen -uddhist, he mo#ed into an isolated hut on the outs'irts of Edo0(o'yo/ where he li#ed the life of a hermit, supporting himself by teaching and

$udging poetry. BashD means 6banana plant,7 a gift gi#en him to which he became deeply attached. 5#er time his hut became 'nown as the -ash Hut

until he assumed the name.- 9osa Buson 01


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his time. -uson presents a romantic #iew of the ?apanese landscape, #i#idly

capturing the wonder and mystery of nature.- (o"ayashi Issa 01


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1. *he Rise of Africa2s !reat &ivi#i3ation. -etween ingdom of 5ld Ghana 0.9. %/ the first of great ci#ili*ations in

western frica succeeded by the empires of 5ld Dali and Songhai. (helegendary city of (imbu'tu was a center of trade and culture in both the Dali and

Songhai empires. New cultures sprang up throughout the South Luba and

Dalawi empires in central frica, the two ongo 'ingdoms, the Swahili culture of

eastern frica, the 'ingdom of 5ld Oimbabwe, and the Oulu nation near thesouthern tip of the cotinent.

• Africa2s !o#den Age 0between .9. % and .9. 1;/ mar'ed the time when

sculpture, music, metalwor', te=tiles, and oral literature flourished.

• Joreign influences came in the &th

century. (he @oman Empire had proclaimedhristianity as its state religion and ta'en control of the entire northern coast of

frica including Egypt. round


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tona# assonance the tones in which syllables are spo'en determine the

meanings of words li'e many sian languages.

ca##-and-response forat ! includes spirited audience participation in

which the leader calls out a line or phrase and the audience responds with ananswering line or phrase becoming performers themsel#es.

d/ Lyric Poes do not tell a story but instead, li'e songs, create a #i#id, e=pressi#etestament to a spea'er7s thoughts or emotional state. Lo#e lyrics were an

influence of the New >ingdom and were written to be sung with the

accompaniment of a harp or a set of reed pipes.

The Sorro5 of $odio by 2ale Tribe

We were three women

Three men And myself, $odio Ango.

We were on or way to work in the city.

And ( lost my wife anama on the way. ( alone have lost my wife

To me alone, sch misery has ha!!ened,

To me alone, $odio, the most handsome of the three men, Sch misery has ha!!ened.

(n vain ( call for my wife,

She died on the way like a chicken rnning. &ow shall ( tell her mother?

&ow shall ( tell it to her, ( $odio,

When it is so hard to hold back my own !ain.

e/ yns of Praise %ongs were offered to the sun god ten. The !reat @ymn to Aten is the longest of se#eral New >ingdom hymns. (his hymn was found on the

wall of a tomb built for a royal scribe named y and his wife. In was intended toassure their safety in the afterlife.

f/ African Prover"s are much more than Buaint old sayings. Instead, they representa poetic form that uses few words but achie#es great depth of meaning and they

function as the essence of people7s #alues and 'nowledge.

• (hey are used to settle legal disputes, resol#e ethical problems, and teach

children the philosophy of their people.

• 5ften contain puns, rhymes, and cle#er allusions, they also pro#ide

entertainment.• Dar' power and eloBuence of spea'ers in the community who 'now and use

them. (heir ability to apply the pro#erbs to appropriate situations demonstratesan understanding of social and political realities.

$enya. tire mthenya kiaga ta ngi. 0o day dawns like another.1

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South Africa. Akndlov yasindwa mboko wayo.

0o ele!hant ever fond its trnk too heavy.1

$i)uyu. 4baara ti cr. 0War is not !orridge.1

g/ Di#ea or Eniga *a#e is an important 'ind of frican moral tale intended forlisteners to discuss and debate. It is an open!ended story that concludes with a

Buestion the as's the audience to choose form among se#eral alternati#es. -y

encouraging animated discussion, a dilemma tale in#ites its audience to thin'about right and wrong beha#ior and how to best li#e within society.

h/ Ashanti *a#e comes from shanti, whose traditional homeland is the dense and

hilly forest beyond the city of >umasi in south!central Ghana which wascoloni*ed by the -ritish in the mid!1 th century. -ut the shanti, protected in

their geographical stronghold, were able to maintain their ancient culture. (he

tale e=emplifies common occupations of the shanti such as farming, fishing, and

wea#ing. It combines such realistic elements with fantasy elements li'e tal'ingob$ects and animals.

i/ 0o#$ *a#es ha#e been handed down in the oral tradition from ancient times. (he

stories represent a wide and colorful #ariety that embodies the frican people7s

most cherished religious and social beliefs. (he tales are used to entertain, toteach, and to e=plain. Nature and the close bond that fricans share with the

natural world are emphasi*ed. (he mystical importance of the forest, sometimes

called the bush, is often featured.

$/ ,rigin stories include creation stories and stories e=plaining the origin of death.

'/ *ric$ster *a#e is an enormously popular type. (he best 'nown frican tric'ster

figure is nansi the Spider, both the hero and #illain from the Aest frican originto the aribbean and other parts of the Aestern Hemisphere as a result of the

sla#e trade.

l/ Mora# %tories attempt to teach a lesson.

m/ uorous %tories is primarily intended to amuse.

%Ta')(

The chief listened to them !atiently, bt he coldn#t refrain from scowling.

;ow, this is really a wild story,< he said at last. ;/o#d better all goback to yor work before ( !nish yo for distrbing the !eace.<

So the men went away, and the chief shook his head and mmbled to

himself, ;onsense like that !sets the commnity<;5antastic, isn#t it?< his stool said, ;(magine, a talking yam+<



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n/ Epics of #anished heroes partly human, partly superhuman, who embody the

highest #alues of a society carry with them a culture7s history, #alues, and

traditions. (he frican literary traditions boasts of se#eral oral epics.

• *he Dausi from the Sonin'e

• Mon3on and the (ing of (ore from the -ambara of western frica

• (he epic of As$ia the !reat, medie#al ruler of the Songhai empire in westernfrica

• (he epic of the 8u#u Epire of southern frica

• %undiata from the Dandingo peoples of Aest frica is the best!preser#ed and

the best!'nown frican epic which is a blend of fact and legend. Sundiata

>eita, the story7s hero really e=isted as a powerful leader who in 1"%+ defeatedthe Sosso nation of western frica and reestablished the Dandingo Empire of

5ld Dali. Supernatural powers are attributed to Sundiata and he is in#ol#ed in

a mighty conflict between good and e#il. It was first recorded in Guinea in the1+s and was told by the griot 9$eli Damoudou >ouyate.

%. Negritude, which means literally 6blac'ness,7 is the literary mo#ement of the1%s 1+s that began among Jrench!spea'ing frican and aribbean writersli#ing in :aris as a protest against Jrench colonial rule and the policy of assimilation.

Its leading figure was Leopold Sedar Senghor 01st president of the @epublic of Senegal

in 1;/ , who along with ime esaire from DartiniBue and Leo 9amas from JrenchGuina, began to e=amine Aestern #alues critically and to reassess frican culture. (he

mo#ement largely faded in the early 1;s when its political and cultural ob$ecti#es

had been achie#ed in most frican countries. (he basic ideas behind Negritudeinclude

• fricans must loo' to their own cultural heritage to determine the #alues and

traditions that are most useful in the modern world.

• ommitted writers should use frican sub$ect matter and poetic traditions and

should e=cite a desire for political freedom.

• Negritude itself encompasses the whole of frican cultural, economic, social, and

political #alues.

• (he #alue and dignity of frican traditions and peoples must be asserted.

&. African Poetry is more eloBuent in its e=pression of Negritude since it is the

poets who first articulated their thoughts and feelings about the inhumanity suffered by

their own people.

• Paris in the %no swings between assimilation of Jrench, European culture or

negritude, intensified by the poet7s catholic piety.• *ote by Leopo#d %enghor shows the eternal lin'age of the li#ing with the dead.

• Letters to Martha by Dennis Brutus is the poet7s most famous collection that

spea's of the humiliation, the despondency, the indignity of prison life.

• *rain 6ourney by Dennis Brutus reflects the poet7s social commitment, as he

reacts to the po#erty around him amidst material progress especially and acutely felt by the innocent #ictims, the children

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• *e#ephone &onversation by 1o#e %oyin$a is the poet7s most anthologi*ed poem

that reflects Negritude. It is a satirical poem between a -lac' man see'ing thelandlady7s permission to accommodate him in her lodging house. (he poetic

dialogue re#eals the landlady7s deep!rooted pre$udice against the colored people as

the caller plays up on it.

,-cerpt from Te'ephone Conversation

The !rice seemed reasonable, locationindifferent. The landlady swore she lived

off !remises. othing remained

bt self-confession. ;4adam,< ( warned,E;( hate a wasted 'orney @ ( am African.< Silence. Silenced transmission of

!ressri9ed good-breeding. Foice, when it came,

li!stick coated, long gold-rolled

cigarette-holder !i!!ed. =aght ( was folly.GH;&8W "A$?< ( had not misheard ;A6 /8B *(&T

8 F6/ "A$?< 2tton 2. 2tton A. Stenchof rancid breath of !blic hide-and-s!eak.

• Africa by David Diop is a poem that achie#es its impact by a series of climactic

sentences and rhetorical Buestions

Africa

Africa, my Africa

Africa of !rod warriors on ancestral savannahs Africa that my grandmother sings

8n the bank of her distant river ( have never known yo

2t my face is fll of yor blood

/or beatifl black blood which waters the wide fields

The blood of yor sweat

The sweat of yor work

The work of yor slaveryThe slavery of yor children

Africa tell me Africa (s this really yo this back which is bent And breaks nder the load of inslt

This back trembling with red weals

Which says yes to the whi! on the hotroads of noon

Then gravely a voice re!lies to me (m!etos son that tree robst and

yong

That tree over thereS!lendidly alone amidst white and faded

flowers

That is Africa yor Africa which grows

rows !atiently obstinately And whose frit little by little learn

The bitter taste of liberty.

• %ong of Laino by ,$ot P2Bite$ is a seBuence of poems about the clash between

frican and Aestern #alues and is regarded as the first important poem in 2English



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to emerge from Eastern frica. Lawino7s song is a plea for the gandans to loo'

bac' to traditional #illage life and recapture frican #alues.

+. Nove#s.• *he ouse"oy by 0erdinand ,yono points out the disillusionment of (oundi, a

boy who lea#es his parents maltreatment to enlist his ser#ices as an acolyte to a

foreign missionary. fter the priest7s death, he becomes a helper of a white plantation owner, disco#ers the liaison of his master7s wife, and gets murdered later

in the woods as they catch up with him. (oundi symboli*es the disenchantment, the

coming of age, and utter despondency of the amerooninans o#er the corruption

and immortality of the whites. (he no#el is de#eloped in the form of a recit , theJrench style of a diary!li'e confessional wor'.

• *hings 0a## Apart by &hinua Ache"e depict a #i#id picture of frica before the

coloni*ation by the -ritish. (he title is an epigraph from Keats7 The SecondComing 6things fall apart the center cannot hold mere anarchy is loosed upon the

world.7 (he no#el laments o#er the disintegration of Nigerian society, represented

in the story by 5'won'o, once a respected chieftain who looses his leadership andfalls from grace after the coming of the whites. ultural #alues are wo#en around

the plot to mar' its authenticity polygamy since the character is DuslimC tribal law

is held supreme by the g5ug5u, respected elders in the communityC a man7s socialstatus is determined by the people7s esteem and by possession of fields of yams and

physical prowessC community life is shown in drin'ing sprees, funeral wa'es, and

sports festi#als.

• No Longer at Ease by &hinua Ache"e is a seBuel to Things Fa'' Apart and thetitle of which is alluded to Eliot7s The Eourney of the Magi 6Ae returned to our

places, these 'ingdoms, -ut no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation.7 (hereturning hero fails to cope with disgrace and social pressure. 5'won'o7s son has

to li#e up to the e=pectations of the muofians, after winning a scholarship in

London, where he reads literature, not law as is e=pected of him, he has to dress up,he must ha#e a car, he has to maintain his social standing, and he should not marry

an 1u, an outcast. In the end, the tragic hero succumgs to temptation, he, too

recei#es bribes, and therefore is 6no longer at ease.7

• *he Poor &hrist of Bo"ay by Mongo Beti begins en medias res and e=poses the

inhumanity of colonialism. (he no#el tells of Jr. 9rumont7s disillusionment afterthe disco#ery of the degradation of the nati#e women, betrothed, but forced to wor'

li'e sla#es in the si-a. (he go#ernment steps into the picture as syphilis spreads outin the priest7s compound. It turns out that the nati#e whose wea'ness is wine,

women, and song has been made o#erseer of the si-a when the -elgian priest goes

out to attend to his other mission wor'. 9e#eloped through recite or diary entries,the no#el is a satire on the failure of religion to integrate to national psychology

without first understanding the nati#es7 culture.



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• *he River Beteen by 6aes Ngugi show the clash of traditional #alues and

contemporary ethics and mores. (he Honia @i#er is symbolically ta'en as ametaphor of tribal and hristian unity the Da'uyu tribe conducts hristian rites

while the >amenos hold circumcision rituals. Duthoni, the heroine, although a

new!born hristian, desires the pagan ritual. She dies in the end but Aaiya'i, theteacher, does not teach #engeance against ?oshua, the leader of the >amenos, but

unity with them. Ngugi poses co!e=istence of religion with people7s lifestyle at the

same time stressing the influence of education to enlighten people about their socio! political responsibilities.

• eirs to the Past by Driss &hrai#i is an allegorical, parable!li'e no#el. fter 1;

years of absence, the anti!hero 9riss Jerdi returns to Dorocco for his father7sfuneral. (he Signeur lea#es his legacy #ia a tape recorder in which he tells the

family members his last will and testament. Each chapter in the no#el re#eals his

relationship with them, and at the same time lays bare the psychology of these

people. His older brother ?aad who was 6born once and had ided se#eral times7 because of his childishness and irresponsibility. His idiotic brother, Nagib, has

become a total burden to the family. His mother feels betrayed, after doin her roles

as wife and mother for % years, as she yearns for her freedom. 9riss flies bac' toEurope completely alienated fro his people, religion, and ci#ili*ation.

• A 0e Days and 0e Nights by M"e##a %onne Dipo$o deals withracial pre$udice.

In the no#el originally written in Jrench, a ameroonian scholar studying in Jranceis torn between the lo#e of a Swedish girl and a :arisienne show father owns a

business establishment in frica. (he father rules out the possibility of marriage.

(herese, their daughter commits suicide and 9oumbe, the amerronian, thin's only

of the future of -ibi, the Swedish who is e=pecting his child. 9oumbe7s remar' that

the frican is li'e a turtle which carries it home where#er it goes implies the racial pride and lo#e for the nati#e grounds.

• *he Interpreters by 1o#e %oyin$a is about a group of young intellectuals who

function as artists in their tal's with one another as they try to place themsel#es in

the conte=t of the world about them.

;. Ma+or 1riters.

• Leopo#d %edar %enghor 01;/ is a poet and statesman who was cofounder of the

Negritude mo#ement in frican art and literature. He went to :aris on a scholarshipand later taught in the Jrench school system. 9uring these years Senghor

disco#ered the unmista'able imprint of frican art on modern painting, sculpture,and music, which confirmed his belief in frica7s contribution to modern culture.

9rafted during AAII, he was captured and spent two years in Na*i concentrationcamp where he wrote some of his finest poems. He became president of Senegal in

1;. His wor's include Songs of Shado5 B'ac) 1fferings Ma"or ,'egies

*oetica' +or) . He became Negritude7s foremost spo'esman and edited ananthology of Jrench!language poetry by blac' frican that became a seminal te=t of

the Negritude mo#ement.

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• ,$ot P2Bite$ 01% 14"/ was born in ganda during the -ritish domination and

was embodied in a contrast of cultures. He attended English!spea'ing schools butne#er lost touch with traditional frican #alues and used his wide array of talents to

pursue his interests in both frican and Aestern cultures. mong his wor's are

Song of #a5ino Song of 1co' African Re'igions and +estern Scho'arship Re'igion of the Centra' #uo @orn of My #ove.

• 1o#e %oyin$a 01%&/ is a Nigerian playwright, poet, no#elis, and critic who was

the first blac' frican to be awarded the Nobel :ri*e for Literature in 14;. Hewrote of modern Aest frica in a satirical style and with a tragic sense of the

obstacles to human progress. He taught literature and drama and headed theater

groups at #arious Nigerian uni#ersities. mong his wor's are plays A Dance of

the Forests The #ion and the Ee5e' The Tria's of Brother Eero C no#els The 3nterpreters Season of AnomyC poems 3danre and 1ther *oems *oems from

*rison A Shutt'e in the Crypt Mande'a&s ,arth and 1ther *oems.

• &hinua Ache"e 01%/ is a prominent Igbo no#elist acclaimed for his

unsentimental depictions of the social and psychological disorientation

accompanying the imposition of Aestern customs and #alues upon traditionalfrican society. His particular concern was with emergent frica at its moments of

crisis. His wor's include, Things Fa'' Apart Arro5 of !od 4o #onger at ,ase A

Man of the *eop'e Anthi''s of Savanah.

• Nadine !ordier 01"%/ is a South frican no#elist and short story writer whose

ma$or theme was e=ile and alienation. She recei#ed the Nobel :ri*e for Literature

in 11. Gordimer was writing by age and published her first story in a maga*ine

at 1+. Her wor's e=hibit a clear, controlled, and unsentimental techniBue that became her hallmar'. She e=amines how public e#ents affect indi#idual li#es, how

the dreams of on7s youth are corrupted, and how innocence is lost. mong her

wor's are The Soft Voice of the Serpent Burger&s Daughter Eu'y&s *eop'e A

Sport of 4ature My Son&s Story.

• Bessie ead 01%< 14;/ described the contradictions and shortcomings of pre!

and postcolonial frican society in morally didactic no#els and stories. She

suffered re$ection and alienation from an early age being born of an illegal union between her white mother and blac' father. mong her wor's are +hen Rain

C'ouds !ather A uestion of *o5er The Co''ector of Treasures Sero5e .

• Bar"ara (ienye 01&/ wrote twel#e boo's on children7s stories 'nown as the

Moses series which are now a standard reading fare for frican school children.She also wor'ed for many years for His Highness the >aba'a of ganda, in the

Dinistry of Education and later ser#ed as >aba'a7s librarian. She was a $ournalist

of The 2ganda 4ation and later a columnist for a Nairobi newspaper. mong herwor's are $a'asandaRevisited The Smugg'ers The Money !ame.

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Afro-Asian Literature Lecture

Documents

Transcript of Afro-Asian Literature Lecture