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1. It is Contextual- The text, whether written or oral, cannot be understood in isolation from its social context. One has to begin by understanding the cultures of the African people, their way of reasoning and their attitudes towards different situations in life. Without this understanding a critic is bound to make a biased and consequently unacceptable interpretation of African literature. In other words, the critic must be ,socially aware' before speaking about African literature.
2. It is Functional- All the formal elements in any African text or narrative must be
organically unified to relay a moral. It must preach virtue and condemn vice. It must
entertain, encourage and above all educate. The idea of ,art for art's sake ' in Africa is
simply unacceptable. It must reflect on what is going on in society, the reason it is often
called ,The mirror of society'.
3. It is Communal- African literature does not have individual authorship. The writer
himself is a product of his society, a socially trained animal. The raw material he uses is
obtained from his community, meaning that he does not bring anything new to his
community. The ideas he tries to put across are for use by his community. He cannot
therefore claim any superiority in his community because the community is itself a
participant in his creative efforts, and he cannot purport to have discovered anything.
The writer is merely mandated by his community to be the eye, ear and mouthpiece that
articulates what the society considers appropriate for its survival. The artist is therefore
called upon to continue the long tradition of the traditional African carver, dancer,
sculptor and seer.
4. It is sensitive to African history- Modern writing from Africa borrows from the oral traditions and moral values. It takes in myths, proverbs and other forms borrowed from
the oral traditions to enrich modern writing. It should also reflect on the African man's
experience in the process of living in the past. It should also carry modern relevance as it
envisions the future of African societies.
NatalieR answered the question on June 13, 2022 at 12:02