The novelist as historian: Exploring the social commentary, activism and politicality of post-colonial African literature

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the role of the African writer in the politics and societies of Africa, especially how this role has been reflected in the work of the African writer. Drawing on the premise set by Chinua Achebe’s 1965 essay “The Novelist as Teacher,” this research establishes the African writer as a continuous function, allowing this description to embrace the dynamic hybridity of African writers from the past, present and future generations. It is remarkable how the role and focus of the African writer has evolved through the years. This research aims to show that in redefining the African writer as a function, the reader is now equipped to view the turmoil in African writers and their literary works as representative of the turmoil in Africa’s politics and politics of identity.