An approach to the novels of Ayi Kwei Armah

Abstract

This thesis is divided into three major Chapters. Chapter one is an analysis of Ayi Kwei Armah's novels at the level of content.In this analysis we conclude that Ayi Kwei Armah is an author who is very committed to creating literature that helps in rectifying whichever mistakes there may be in the African society he writes for. Because these novels are not political tracts but works of art, this thesis also analyses the creative devices Ayi Kwei Armah uses, how he uses them, and what effect he achieves. Therefore, Chapter Two is about the analysis of the styles this author uses in creating his novels. We find that Armah very consciously uses every artistic unit to create aesthetically appealing novels. Chapter Three is on The Healers. This novel came too late to be included in the earlier part of the work. Yet to have ignored it would have been disastrous. The thesis comes up with the conclusion that any work of literary criticism has to analyse both content and style in order to really claim it has done an adequate job.