Black Studies 232 - West African Literature

Immersed in the historical and social contexts of colonialism and liberation, diverging religious traditions, and cultural differences, African literature expresses people’s character and engagement in times of adversity and harmony. It recounts stories of survival and death, of adaptation and rigidity, of rebirth and loss of self, almost in the same breath. Yet, in this multiplicity, there is an implicit question uniting the threads of these stories: What does it mean to be authentically African and why is this meaning so important?  Throughout the semester we will try to decipher the various themes presented in the readings and answer the underlying question regarding African identity and its ties to spirituality. We will be using different literary genres, from mythology to autobiography, to accomplish this task.  This will include works from both Francophone and Anglophone Africa.