Socialist Realism and its Impications For the African Writer
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Date
1986-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
When we go back into the history of socialist countries we find
that at the birth of socialism 9 during the transition period~ literature
had a vital role to play. To be more precise 9 the socialist realist
method contributed to the coming of socialism. This 50cialist realist
methods filled with optimislTI 9 was committed to the working class.
Many countries in the African continent are now going through
a transition period towards socialism. A transition period, as stated
above s is a very important period in which the African writer has a
great role to play to hasten the coming of socialism. So far, most
African writers~ using the critical realist method~ have only gone as
far as merely depicting society. SOCiety in turn , has been presented
in a deteriorating state. Apart from this, no place has been given
for the optimistic rising class - the working class.
Learning from the experience of socialist writers , a new African
writer is emerging. Ngugi~ taken as an example, has been greatly influenced
by Gorky's Mother, a socialist realist novel. Furthermore s as the African
writer is living in a transition per;od ~ he is working towards socialism.
This indicates that the socialist realist method has some implications
that are useful to the African writer. These implications will help
the African writer as a means for the advancement of socialism, which
in turn, will improve the African novel.
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For the African Writer