Discuss the relationship between African oral traditions, Western literary conventions and African literature in English

Understanding the Relationship

African literature in English represents a dynamic hybrid form that emerges from the interaction between indigenous oral traditions and Western literary conventions. This fusion creates a uniquely African literary expression that preserves cultural heritage while engaging with global literary forms.

What Are African Oral Traditions?

African oral traditions are the pre-colonial literary forms through which knowledge, art, ideas, and cultural materials were generated, preserved, and transmitted across generations through speech and song. These traditions include:

• Folktales – stories passed orally teaching moral lessons
• Proverbs – concise sayings expressing wisdom
• Riddles – puzzles testing mental sharpness
• Myths and legends – sacred narratives explaining origins
• Epics – long heroic poems recounting adventures
• Songs and oral poems – rhythmic expressions of emotion and culture

The textbook identifies key characteristics of oral literature: additive thinking, formulaic expressions, repetition for emphasis, flexibility and variation, dynamism, and mnemonic devices for memory.

What Are Western Literary Conventions?

Western literary conventions are the literary traditions originating from European civilizations, developed through historical periods including:

• Ancient Greek and Latin literature – foundational epics and tragedies
• Medieval literature – ballads, allegories, chivalric romances
• Renaissance literature – humanism and classical revival
• Enlightenment literature – reason, satire, and realism
• Romanticism – emotion and individualism
• Modernism and Post-modernism – experimental forms

These conventions shaped the novel, drama, and poetry forms that African writers encountered during colonialism.

The Relationship: Oral-Literacy Interaction

African literature in English emerges from the fusion of these two traditions. This relationship works in two directions:

1. Oral traditions inform written literature – Writers incorporate proverbs, folktales, narrative structures, and communal voices into their texts
2. Western forms are adapted to African contexts – The novel, drama, and poetry are reshaped to express African experiences and values

The textbook emphasizes that African writers "skilfully exploit and blend African oral literary materials, structure, theme and style from Western literary conventions" to produce hybrid texts.

Worked Example: Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart demonstrates this relationship clearly:

Oral tradition elements:

• The use of Igbo proverbs throughout the narrative (e.g., "Among the Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten")
• The incorporation of folktales and legends
• Oral storytelling techniques in narrative delivery
• Community voice and communal decision-making

Western literary conventions:

• The novel form (European genre)
• Linear plot structure
• Character development using psychological depth
• Written prose narrative

This combination creates a text that feels authentically African while operating within a global literary form.

Key Scholars and Texts

Influential African writers who navigated this relationship include:

• Chinua Achebe – Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease
• Ngugi wa Thiong'o – A Grain of Wheat, Matigari
• Flora Nwapa – Efuru
• Grace Ogot – The Promised Land
• Ayi Kwei Armah – The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born
• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Half of a Yellow Sun

These authors demonstrate how African literature in English maintains cultural roots while engaging with universal themes.

How to Analyze This Relationship

When examining any African literary text in English, consider:

1. Identify oral elements – What proverbs, folktales, or traditional narratives appear?
2. Identify Western conventions – What genre, plot structure, or narrative technique is used?
3. Evaluate the fusion – How do these elements work together? Does one dominate?
4. Consider the purpose – Why might the author have chosen this combination?

Real-life application

Understanding this relationship helps Tanzanian students appreciate local literary works like those from prominent East African writers. When you encounter narratives that blend Swahili or local proverbs with Western novel structures—such as in stories set in Dar es Salaam or rural villages—you can recognize how authors preserve cultural identity while reaching broader audiences. This analytical skill is valuable for careers in teaching, journalism, publishing, and cultural preservation, where communicating both local and global perspectives is essential.