Title: Strategic Transformations in Nigerian Writing
Subtitle: Orality and History in the Work of Rev. Samuel Johnson, Amos Tutuola, Wole Soyinka, and Ben Okri
Description: This is an innovative and original study which offers a new perspective on a Nigerian literary tradition. The author takes issue with the prevalent use of "oral tradition" in the criticism of Europhone written literature as a kind of cultural matrix out of which the written text emerged, and the essence of which it embodies. He proposes instead a view of literary tradition as the outcome of numerous, and varied, strategic acts of positioning in relation to indigenous resources — which vary according to the individual writer's project but also according to the larger social and political context. He constructs a historical framework in which to view these strategies as performed by Samuel Johnson in _The History of the Yorubas_ (1921 [1897]), Amos Tutuola (1950s), Soyinka (1960s and 70s) and Ben Okri (1980s and 90s).
Subjects: Nigerian Literature, Soyinka, wole, 1934-, Tutuola, amos, 1920-1997, Literature and folklore, Yoruba (african people), Nigeria, history, Oral tradition, Historiography, Nigerian literature (English), Literature and history, Knowledge, History and criticism, Folklore, Knowledge--folkloresoyinka, wole, Knowledge--folkloretutuola, amos, Knowledge--folkloreokri, ben, Johnson, samuel , -1901, Nigerian literature (english)--history and criticism, Literature and folklore--history, Literature and folklore--nigeria--history, Literature and history--history, Literature and history--nigeria--history, Yoruba (african people)--historiography, Oral tradition--nigeria, Historiography--nigeria, Pr9387 .q39 1997, 820.9/9669, History, Knowledge and learning
Places: Nigeria