The thort story in Africa

Abstract

This thesis attempts a critical analysis of the short story as a•genre of creative writing in Africa. By the 'Short Story in Africa' we are referring to the shor-t stoz-Les written by Africans, born in Africa, and depicting, through their short stories, their experience in Africa as Africans. This excludes short stories written in Africa or abcut Africa by white m.l.as Lor.ar-Le s, colonialists j settlers, tourists and traders who could only write ubout Africa basing th!!l!msejveosn their own cultural,political and social exper-Lence s , with Africa as a comparison or as a novel t~-.

The African experience since the coming of the

white m~n has been characterized at the socio-his~orical, political. and economic levels by colonialism and its attendant oppression and exploitation on the one hand. On the other hand, this experience has been characterized

by the indigenous Afric2.ns' r ecLst.ance t9'~xploitation and oppression, and the attempt~ to thr@w off the yoke of c010~ialism in all its manifestations. The

short story as a genre of creative writing in Afrir.a /

has not only been an artistic attempt at the recording

of this African experi.ence but 41so ¥vehicle of the C positive forces of change on the continent. This body

of creative writing in the short story form on the continent which influences and is simuJt'aneously influenced by the awakening of cultural identity and the spirit of liberation at th3 socia-political and economic levels is the subject of this thesis.