Between freedom and self-subjection: the dilemma of writing in an African language
Literator
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Between freedom and self-subjection: the dilemma of writing in an African language | |
| Creator | Maake, N. | |
| Description | This article is an analysis of the dilemmas that confront an author who chooses to write in an African language. (Language choice remains a particularly vexing issue in African literature.) On the one hand a language that he is a master of gives him the freedom to assert himself and oppose the imperial way of thinking, which is liberating. On the other hand choice of language confines his work to a specific audience and a particular set of literary canons. Sometimes certain influential gatekeepers overtly prescribe boundaries and limit the possibilities of transcending them. On the other hand, as a case study of Sesotho literature shows, the literature itself manifests generic and thematic propensities that limit the freedom of literary expression. From the subjective and privileged position of being a writer in Sesotho himself the author in the end makes a number of suggestions on how to overcome this stifling status quo. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2006-07-30 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/lit.v27i1.183 | |
| Source | Literator; Vol 27, No 1 (2006); 127-140 Literator; Vol 27, No 1 (2006); 127-140 2219-8237 0258-2279 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://literator.org.za/index.php/literator/article/view/183/156
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