A presente dissertação tem o objetivo de analisar nos romances O outro pé da sereia (COUTO, 2006) e Yaka (PEPETELA, 2006) a representação da situação colonial e os resultados da dicotomia colonizador e colonizado nas sociedades moçambicana e angolana, ficcionalizadas por Mia Couto e Pepetela nessas obras. Objetiva-se, ainda, verificar a forma como os romances mergulham no passado colonial de seus países de origem para problematizar questões acerca das sociedades citadas, avaliando as perspectivas que figuram no tempo presente. Estabeleceu-se, então, uma leitura a partir de um processo histórico comum, a colonização portuguesa, para explicitar as contradições resultantes desse período. Para tanto, nos apoiamos no diálogo entre literatura e história, presente nos romances estudados, para identificar e destacar as contradições coloniais, sobretudo em relação às representações da violência e do racismo nas duas obras. / This study aims to analyze the representation of the colonial situation and which are the results of the dichotomy colonizer and colonized in Mozambican and Angolan societies through the novels O outro pé da sereia (COUTO, 2006) and Yaka (PEPETELA, 2006). In addition, it aims to examine how the novels rely on colonial past of its countries to discuss issues about the societies mentioned, evaluating the prospects contained in the present. It was established an analysis of the novels from an historical process in common, which is the Lusitanian colonization, to explain the contradictions resulting from this situation. For that, we rely on a dialogue between literature and history, present in the reading of O outro pé da sereia and Yaka, to identify and highlight the colonial contradictions, especially the ones related to the representations of violence and racism in both novels.

Este estudo tem por objetivo observar relações entre a filosofia africana e a literatura africana produzida em Angola por Boaventura Cardoso e sua troca de influências atuais. Particularmente focando no aspecto que retrata os elementos constituintes dessa filosofia de matriz africana de acordo com os trabalhos de Paulin Hountondji, Henry Odera Oruka, Kwasi Wiredu, Wamba-Dia-Wamba e Sophie Oluwole articulando seus conceitos, suas manifestações e influências na cultura, política, religião, sociedade e educação angolana retratados na narrativa de Mãe, Materno Mar. Ao investigar e mapear a inserção de uma filosofia africana na literatura africana em língua portuguesa, quais processos adotados, fontes e objetivos presentes na produção literária de Boaventura Cardoso, consagrado autor africano, a pesquisa procura evidenciar o modelo de seu projeto literário nacional conciliando com alguns artigos de autoria de Luís Kandjimbo e Carmen Lúcia Tindó Secco. Os debates, as similaridades e as diferenças entre as matrizes de conhecimento ocidental e africano presentes nessa cultura representada pelo escritor são de evidente importância para a compreensão dos fluxos e refluxos entre a literatura, a filosofia e a realidade angolana e se apoiam nas pesquisas de José Castiano, Peter J. King, Gaston Bachelard e Pedro Francisco Miguel. Este estudo propõe-se a trabalhar a literatura como a possibilidade de uma reflexão filosófica. Desta forma, o fazer literário exige por assim dizer, um esforço não apenas de significação e construção de palavras, mas algo para além das fronteiras da própria linguagem. O objetivo deste estudo é contribuir para o delineamento do trabalho e do projeto literário de Boaventura Cardoso sob uma perspectiva filosófica e como eles se ajustam às dificuldades, à conveniência e aos desígnios de uma sociedade angolana. / This study aims to observe relations between the African philosophy and African literature produced in Angola by Boaventura Cardoso and his exchange of current influences. Particularly focusing on the aspect which depicts the elements of this philosophy of African origin according to the works of Paulin Hountondji, Henry Odera Oruka, Wamba-Dia-Wamba, Kwasi Wiredu e Sophie Oluwole, articulating its concepts, its manifestations and influence on culture, politics, religion, society and angolan education portrayed in the narrative of, Mãe, Materno Mar. When investigating and mapping the insertion of an African Philosophy in african literature in Portuguese, which adopted processes, sources and objectives are in the literary production of Boaventura Cardoso, consecrated African author, the research seeks to highlight the model of their national literary project reconciling with articles by Luís Kandjimbo e Carmem Lúcia Tindó Secco. The debates, the similarities and differences between western and african knowledge matrices present in this culture represented by the writer are of obvious importance to understand the ebbs and flows between literature, philosophy and the angolan reality and they are based on the research of José Castiano, Peter J. King, Gaston Bachelard and Pedro Francisco Miguel. This study aims to work the literature as the possibility of a philosophical reflection. Thus, the literary make demands as it were, an effort not only of meaning and construction of words, but something beyond the boundaries of language itself. The aim of this study is to contribute to the design of work and literary project of Boaventura Cardoso in a philosophical perspective and how they fit to the difficulties, the convenience and the designs of an angolan society.

O escritor angolano Pepetela possui em sua produção literária a obra O quase fim do mundo (2008), na qual cria condições para o reinício da humanidade a partir de poucos sobreviventes a uma hecatombe, o que a faz ser inserida no rol de discursos escatológicos. Seu diferencial, a nosso ver, estará nas discussões suscitadas quanto à realidade africana, em especial de Angola. Nesse sentido, há no romance a formação de uma sociedade a partir de valores principalmente africanos, já que África surge como o espaço central da nova era - são desse continente, em sua quase totalidade, os indivíduos selecionados e ali reconstroem suas vidas e o passado que ficará como História. Paralelamente, é possível relacionar a narrativa e seus elementos à formulação de uma nova utopia, desta vez priorizando características próprias em detrimento daquelas importadas (a não ser que relidas sob a ótica local). No entanto, o autor sabe da complexidade da empresa e não se furta a apontar e problematizar entraves. Com o livro OQFM, Pepetela volta a pôr em pauta os rumos e os projetos de seu país, situando-o na produção estético-política da literatura angolana de língua portuguesa. / The Angolan writer Pepetela has in his compose the work O quase fim do mundo (2008), wherein creates conditions for the resumption of humanity from few survivors of a catastrophe, which puts it in the list of eschatological discourses. Its differential, in our view, will be in the discussions raised about the african reality, especially Angola. Thus, there is in novel the formation of a society from mainly African values, since Africa emerges as the central space of the new era the selected individuals are, almost entirely, from this continent, where rebuild their lives and the past that will be leave as History. In parallel, it is possible to relate the story and its elements to the formulation of a new utopia, this time prioritizing characteristics over those imported (unless re-read from the viewpoint location). However, the author knows the complexity of the feat and does not shirk from pointing and discuss barriers. With the book OQFM, Pepetela backs to put in question the direction and projects of his country, placing it in the production aesthetic-political of Angolan literature in Portuguese.

<p> West African Women writers are constantly looking for ways to maneuver the patriarchal system within their indigenous cultures. To say maneuvering implies the dilemma in consciously navigating patriarchal epistemology as West African women, which in reality is not exotic to other feminist struggles outside the continent. To deal with the dilemma of constantly maneuvering, this thesis suggest for an indigenous framework. It suggests <i>Osun </i>&ndash;a Nigerian goddess&ndash; as a response to the theoretical problems and as a methodology to navigating a postcolonial patriarchal worldview in order to express West African feminist discourse. The specificity of <i>Osun</i> is essential, but the fluidity of <i>Osun</i> across borders cannot be undermined as it paves the way for flexibility within feminist and gender discourse and draws upon various gender oppressed experiences. The idea of specificity and fluidity is fundamental to developing <i> Osun</i> as West African feminist discourse because of her ability to transcend space. The combination of specificity and fluidity are necessary within any feminist discourse as it allows for women from different regions to relate and align the tenets to their specific struggles found in the diversity of <i>Osun</i>.</p><p>

La littérature africaine d'expression française et anglaise se présente aujourd'hui sous le signe de la remise en question et de la déconstruction des modèles occidentaux. Née dans un contexte trouble marqué par la violence et un· véritable génocide des cultures africaines, cette littérature est aujourd'hui marquée par les motifs de la folie et la violence. Les neuf romans sur lesquels cette étude est menée, s'inscrivent dans cette catégorie du roman africain contemporain.Elle met en lumière les diverses manifestations de la folie et de la violence : structures narratives éclatées et fragmentées, langues d'écriture (français et anglais) subverties par les langues africaines,thématique nourrie par la violence et la folie ... Les auteurs de ces textes ont pris l'option de mettre en scène des personnages présentant des symptômes de la maladie mentale, la violence extrême, -génocides, guerres civiles-, régimes dictatoriaux tenus par des élites inconscientes qui exercent sur les populations une violence structurelle. Bref, ces textes nous plongent dans un univers véritablement chaotique, tant dans leur contenu que dans leur esthétique.Ce travail tente de démontrer que la violence en postcolonie est causée d'une part, par la quête du pouvoir qui passe souvent par l'élaboration des stéréotypes à travers lesquels un individu ou un groupe se voit accablé d'attributs négatifs, et d'autre part, par la résistance opposée par les marginalisés contre toute forme de domination.Par ailleurs, la situation chaotique que vivent les Africains aujourd'hui- crises comportementales, crises identitaires, dépersonnalisation- est tributaire non seulement de son passé jalonné par la violence physique, morale et culturelle, mais aussi des élites politiques qui demeurent encore mentalement colonisées, et miment les attitudes des anciens maîtres.Enfin, la folie et la violence qui se manifestent par une véritable révolution esthétique et un recentrage du discours littéraire, s'inscrivent dans la logique de la démarche postcoloniale qui préconise une forme de révolte, de déconstruction des modèles hérités du centre normatif européen.En un mot, l'esthétique de la folie et de la violence se présente comme un moyen pour la littérature africaine de revendiquer sa différence, son autonomie et sa place au sein des grandes littératures du monde. / African literature of french and english expression appears today under deconstruction of european models. Originated from a context made of violence and real genocide of African cultures which has produced an identity chaos, this literature is marked nowadays by the motives of madness and violence. The nine novels on which this study is based correspond to this category ofafrican novel. It shows the various manifestations of madness and violence: segmented narrative structures, written language (French and English) damaged by African languages, themes sustainedby violence and madness. The authors of these texts have chosen to use characters that presentsymptoms of mental illness, extreme violence, genocides, civil wars, dictatorial regimes held by unconscious elites who exercise structural violence on people. Briefly, these texts bring us deeply in a real chaotic universe in their content as well as on their forms.This work demonstrates:- First, that violence in postcolonial era is provoqued on one band by the quest of power which always occurs by the elaboration of stereotypes through which an individual or a group is attributed negative qualities, and on the other band, by the resistance presented by the marginalized against allforms of domination.- Secondly, that chaotic situation undergone by Africans nowadays -behavioral crisis, identity crisis, depersonalization- is originated not only from its pass full of physical, moral and cultural violence, but also from the political elites who are still mentally colonized and imitate the attitudes of the colonizers. - Thirdly, that madness and violence which manifest themselves by a real aesthetic revolution and reorientation of literary discourse suits themselves in the logic of postcolonial method which instructs a form of subversion, and deconstruction of inherited models from normative European center. In one word, the aesthetic of madness and violence is concerned with the matter of claiming the difference, the autonomy and the place of African literature in the middle of the great literatures of the world.

This study aims at highlighting some crucial aspects of Xhosa drama. These aspects are of great significance for the understanding of Xhosa drama. It also aims to historicize and contextualize examinations of traditional Xhosa drama and modern Xhosa drama.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study explores the different ways that South African novels have represented fatherhood across historical periods, from the dawn of apartheid to the post-transitional moment. It is argued that there is a link between narrative power and the father, especially in the way that the father figure is given authority and is central to dominant narratives which support pervasive ideologies. The study introduces the concept of paternal narratives, which are narratives that support the power of the father within patriarchal systems and societies, and which the father is usually given control of. This lens will be applied to prominent South African literature in English, including early texts such as Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country, Nadine Gordimer’s Burger’s Daughter and J. M. Coetzee’s In the Heart of the Country, where the father’s authority is strongly emphasised, and where resisting the paternal narratives often leads to identity struggles for sons and daughters. Later texts, published during the transition from apartheid, often deconstruct the narrative power of fathers more overtly, namely Mark Behr’s The Smell of Apples, Zakes Mda’s Ways of Dying and K. Sello Duiker’s The Quiet Violence of Dreams. More recent novels, published in “post-transitional” South Africa, are radical in their approach to father figures: fathers are often shown to be spectral and dying, and their control of narratives is almost completely lost, such as in Lisa Fugard’s Skinner’s Drift, Mark Behr’s Kings of the Water, Zoë Wicomb’s Playing in the Light and Zukiswa Wanner’s Men of the South. Exploring these shifting representations is a useful way to unearth how ideological and social shifts in South Africa affect the types of representations produced, and how fatherhoods are being reimagined.

In this study I provide close textual analysis of the novels of three women writers whose work displays a consistent preoccupation with issues of race, and examine the ways in which their racial representations interplay with their depictions of gender and sexuality. Writing from a consciously gendered and racialized position, I combine personal narrative with theoretical discussion as I trace common racial themes, such as racial violence, cross-racial couples, and the denial or erasure of race. In an examination of other critics who have employed personal narrative as a form of literary analysis, I affirm the value of teaching and reading literary texts as a mode of activism. I also examine the depiction of white male protagonists, exploring the ways in which such depictions require a transracial, cross-gender performance on the part of the woman writer. Recurring patterns of racial dynamics emerge in the larger body of each author's work. A West Indian female racial identity emerges in Rhys' work as, consciously and unconsciously, her white heroines identify with black slave women, and seek another form of "blackness" through alcoholic oblivion. Gordimer's white women seek to slough off the racial privilege they are only too aware of, but Gordimer creates narratives in which white female identity merges textually with black male identity and black female identity, linguistically and through shared political action. Morrison's black women, doubly othered by race and by gender, seek to transcend all boundaries through wildly transgressive behavior, enacted boldly or imagined through language. In my final chapter, I explore the ambiguities and struggles of the construction of female racial identity in American, South African and Caribbean contexts, with particular attention to moments of textual rupture which signal the possibility of fluid identity. I demonstrate how Morrison, Gordimer, and Rhys employ a variety of narrative forms which allow readers to enter an in-between space, a starting point for the transformation of consciousness and of society. Literature is an ideal vehicle for entering the in-between space imaginatively, and dwelling there longer and longer as we rid ourselves of preconceived notions of race and gender.

This study focuses on Blackness and shows how changes in its meaning reflect arguments about the short story as a fictional form. I argue that Blackness, as a socially constructed identity marker and the corresponding discourse designed to reify Whiteness, led to the evolution of an aesthetic consciousness that found critical and creative expression during the Black Power and Black Consciousness movements of the 1960s and 70s. In a process I call the "Politics of Creation," where Blackness and the short story move towards self-definition, we discover that Blackness and the short story reshape the socially constructed groupings designed to "fix" categories of people and genres. In chapter one reviewing the relevant literature concerning the origins of racial prejudice proves instructive for understanding the role of narrative in constructing discursive categories: i.e. Blackness and Whiteness. Chapter two addresses the historical context and introduces this study's attitudinal "common ground." In chapter three, we see how the collective identity of a community, marginalized by the "majority" status society (in this respect, the "imagined community" of Blackness), coalesces in response to white domination and becomes part of the larger culture of resistance known as the African diaspora. Examining Black participation in the discourse shows how "essentialism" racialized the ideological discourse. Chapter four reviews the critical literature on the short story and shows how its diminishment as a "minor" form of fiction, is analogous to the process by which Blackness was "othered." In chapter five, the short story and Blackness meet in a discussion of the aesthetic issues that fostered the explosion of African and Black Short Story anthologies and the growth of a critical discourse to offset the prejudicial attitudes expressed under the guise of "universalism." Using representative short stories by Henry Dumas, Toni Cade Bambara, Njabulo Ndebele, and Sindiwe Magona, chapter six addresses storytelling as "expressive" common ground, while revealing the "conflicts of unity" to Black solidarity. Chapter seven closes with a discussion of the commonalities I find in their writing styles. African American, African/a, Literary, Cultural, and Genre Studies will benefit from this study's insights into Black American and South African's reconsiderations of Blackness.

Thesis (M.A. (African languages)) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / The main aim of this study is to analyse nemesis in Ndlandlati ya Malenga by A.D Mahatlani and Mibya ya Nyekanyeka by B.K.M Mtombeni. Chapter one outlines the background of the research. This chapter deals with the theme and the methodology of the reseach. This chapter outlines the different studies that were done on Xitsonga Literature at Honours, Masters and Doctoral levels. This chapter also shows the methodology, the scope and definitions of important terms that are used in this study. Chapter two defines characterization on its broadness, looking at Ndlandlati ya Malenga by A.D Mahatlani and Mibya ya Nyekanyeka by B.K.M Mtombeni. Chapter three outlines the biographies of the A.D Mahatlani, the author of Ndlandlati ya Malenga and B.K.M Mtombeni, the author of Mibya ya Nyekanyeka. This chapter also deals with the summary of the book called Ndlandlati ya Malenga and Mibya ya Nyekanyeka. ix Chapter four deals with the analysis of nemesis in Ndlandlati ya Malenga by A.D. Mahatlani and Mibya ya Nyekanyeka hi B.K.M. Mtombeni. This chapter depicts different characters who had problems or challenges in life and the result thereof by failing to accept the situation they found themselves in, by failing to resolve them. Chapter five presents a summary of findings and recommendations of the research