European-language writing in Sub-Saharan Africa

1294 Pages·1986·168.62 MB·English

by  Albert S Gérard

EUROPEAN-LANGUAGE WRITING IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
A COMPARATIVE HISTORY OF LITERATURES IN EUROPEAN LANGUAGES
SPONSORED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE LITERATURE ASSOCIATION
HISTOIRE COMPARÉE DES LITTÉRATURES DE LANGUES EUROPÉENNES
SOUS LES AUSPICES DE L’ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL DE LITTÉRATURE COMPARÉE
Coordinating Committee for
A Comparative History of Literatures in European Languages
Comité de Coordination de
l’Histoire Comparée des Littératures de Langues Européennes
2007
President/Président
Randolph Pope (University of Virginia)
Vice-President/Vice-Président
Daniel F. Chamberlain (Queen’s University, Kingston)
Secretary/Secrétaire
Margaret Higonnet (University of Connecticut)
Treasurer/Trésorier
Vivian Liska (University of Antwerp)
Members/Membres assesseurs
Jean Bessière, Inôcencia Mata,
Fernando Cabo Aseguinolaza, Marcel Cornis-Pope,
Elrud Ibsch, Eva Kushner,
Fridrun Rinner, Laura Calvacante Padilha,
Franca Sinopoli, Steven Sondrup,
Svend Eric Larsen, Cynthia Skenazi
Volume VI
European-language Writing in Sub-Saharan Africa
Edited by Albert S. Gérard
EUROPEAN-LANGUAGE WRITING
IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Edited by
ALBERT S. GÉRARD
JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY
AMSTERDAM/PHILADELPHIA
TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American
8 National Standard for Information Sciences — Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
European-language writing in sub-Saharan Africa / edited by Albert S. Gérard.
p. cm. -- (Comparative history of literatures in European languages = Histoire comparée des
littératures de langues européennes, ISSN 0238-0668 ; v. 6)
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
1. African literature -- History and criticism. 2. African literature (English) -- History and criticism.
3. African literature (French) -- History and criticism. 4. African literature (Portuguese) -- History and
criticism.
PL8010.E86 1986
809/.889/6067 87120471
isbn 978 963 05 3832 9 (hb; alk. paper) CIP
isbn 978 90 272 7468 7 (eb)
© John Benjamins B.V. / Association Internationale de Littérature Comparée
Published 1986 by Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means,
without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. • P.O.Box 36224 • 1020 ME Amsterdam • The Netherlands
John Benjamins North America • P.O.Box 27519 • Philadelphia PA 19118-0519 • USA
EUROPEAN-LANGUAGE WRITING IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
VOLUME I

EUROPEAN-LANGUAGE WRITING
IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
VOLUME I
Edited by
ALBERT S. GÉRARD
JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY
AMSTERDAM/PHILADELPHIA

GENERAL PREFACE TO ALL VOLUMES PUBLISHED AS PART
OF THE "COMPARATIVE HISTORY OF LITERATURES"
This is one of a series of volumes in the "Comparative History of Literatures in European
Languages" (hereafter: "Comparative History") sponsored by the International Com­
parative Literature Association. The "Comparative History" is under the editorial
supervision of a "Coordinating Committee" consisting at present of sixteen scholars
from various countries. The Committee appoints the directors of the particular research
projects, issues general guidelines to them, monitors the genesis of the manuscript, and
gives final approval before publication.
The "Comparative History" was launched by the International Comparative Lit­
erature Association in 1967. It is based on two fundamental premises: one, that the
writing of literary histories confined to specific nations, peoples or languages must be
complemented by the writing of literary history that coordinates related or comparable
phenomena from an international point of view: two, that it is not possible for individual
scholars to write such comprehensive histories but that we must now rely on structured
teamwork drawing collaborators from different nations.
We have tried to select periods or movements in which the transformation of forms
and ideas is lively and promotes an understanding of the historical process in literature.
We have chosen epochs or currents which display a correlation of stylistic expression,
where the fruitfulness of the international give and take (as opposed to the idea of
national preeminence) can be demonstrated, and, through the comparative approach,
significant analogies and contrasts pointed out.
Within these principles and criteria, the scholars entrusted with each project are
given the latitude needed to put together the best possible volume under the circum­
stances. Writing a comparative literary history by way of international teamwork is a
revolutionary procedure in literary historiography. Few scholars can claim ability to
cover the entire range of literature relevant to the phenomenon under study. Hence the
need for partial syntheses, upon which more and more truly international syntheses will
be built as our project progresses.
The "Comparative History" will consist of volumes composed in either French or
English. Most contributions will be written in these two languages, some will be trans­
lated into them from other languages. But we are anxious to emphasize that this in no
sense reflects a hierarchy of values. To be sure, the broad and deep penetration of
English, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish literature must be recognized,
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