Generations and Power Relations as Reflected in Selected Contemporary Amharic Novels
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Date
2020-06
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AAU
Abstract
Although a considerable number of Amharic novels dealing with critical issues of contemporary Ethiopia have been published, most have rarely been considered for literary study. Generations and power relations, which could be considered as analytical tools for the study of a society, are in the same vein overlooked in these days Ethiopian Literary scholarship. The study, therefore, focuses on the explication of generations and power relations in the selected contemporary Amharic novels. On the basis of purposive merits, four Amharic novels, which were published in the turn of the millennium, were selected. These novels are: Reqik Ashara, Dertogada, Lelasew and Abrak. In light of the imprint theory of generation, the traits that the constituents of each cohort shares in common have been figured out and discussed. The study also made use of a combination of the Marxist and Foucault‟s theorizations of power as its theoretical blue print.
Based on the theoretical framework and the literary hermeneutic triad-reading model of textual analysis, the generations‟ characteristics, and their power relations are claimed to have a direct relationships. On the other hand, the dominantly displayed mannerism of each generation and their conflicting ideologies imply as there is a trend of declining certain societal values in contemporary Ethiopia. Most notably, individuals in their shared traits as well as in their manner of power exercise, portray contemporary Ethiopia as where there is a persistent generational conflicts. The conflict, most of which are purely ideological, is eventually resulted in a significant generational gap between subsequent generations.
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Amharic novels dealing with critical issues of contemporary Ethiopia have been published