A Postmodernist Reading of Selected Ethiopian Novels in English A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study has been designed to make a modest attempt which could add contributions on some
of the practices that can make Ethiopian literature in English into its stature. In other words,
this study has been attempted because researchers in most of the time are not zealous on
Ethiopian literature in English. The study has been employing postmodernism as a tool of
analysis, for postmodernism is primarily inaugurated for giving fair attention for the
marginalized literatures like Ethiopian literature in English. Therefore, the analysis in this
dissertation has been made on selected Ethiopian Novels in English in line with postmodern
narrative strategies. Thus, the chief postmodern narrative strategies reflected in the novels
include; interrogating the historical, political, religious and cultural realities; magical realism
in relation to fantasy, irony and blackhumour; metafiction, historiographic metafiction,
maximalism, fragmentation, intertextuality and the denial of superior over inferior cultural
presentations. Therefore, the novels have been read in line with basic postmodern narrative
strategies. On top of their own differences, all the four novels are similar in relation to reflecting
major postmodern narrative strategies. In simple terms, though there are some differences
among the individual novels selected for the dissertation, they are equally appropriate to be read
as postmodern texts.
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A Postmodernist Reading of Selected Ethiopian Novels in English