Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Sembene Ousmane: The African writer's commitment to society
Abstract
Is the writer's role simply to create art for art's sake or do writers have to utilize their talents for the good of society. Ngugi wa Thiongo of Kenya and Ousmane Sembene of Senegal, like many other African writers, are of the opinion that in a society such as the one in which they live, their role, besides and because of its artistic aspect, should be to participate in the daily struggle of the masses and to help ameliorate their living conditions. My study examines this debate from African writers' perspective, and focuses specifically on these two artists' viewpoints, and in particular how their creative works become the platform by which they engage their art to carry out the people's struggle, and submit the latter to a self-examination in order to change their society from destructive traditions and habits of neocolonialist Africa.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Hughes, Purdue University.
Subject Area
African literature|Comparative literature
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