Bordering Stereotype from African Fiction: Honesty

On this subject alone, the board of views is so crammed with analyses that make it some disgust to reasoning. What is Stereotype? Why Stereotype? What platitudes come with Stereotype? These questions have always torn horns when minds are to give bases. There have been rants, gabbles, babbles, swipes and spites; all trailing what should be and not to be in this same 'stereotype'. Sometimes, I bitterly wondered if what we make as assertions in judging 'stereotype' wouldn't after all be as stereotypic as what they tend to analyze.

A friend has written his own side on this, merging rich references with apt allusions. Your views may run quite opposite to his, but what you wouldn't dismiss hurriedly is his proper presentation of points so vivid. Enjoy this guest post by Oyebanji Ayo.

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People have spoken a lot – consciously and most times, unconsciously about this subject. That is why many literary enthusiasts, when the slightest opportunity avails itself, ask why fictional works of African origin have refused to renounce their 'age-long' friendship with 'already dry and pen-sucked' subjects in this age of facebook™ and twitter™.

Since critics have come out to 'attack' reputable writers like Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie, Akachi Adimora Ezeigbo and the like on the recurrence of thematic pre-occupation in their works. These critics have resorted to Conan Doyle's quote – "mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself…" and therefore term the works of these authors as the manifestation of mediocrity or 'literary rigmaroling'. This is why the honesty of works which have the elements of "stereotype" is always questioned.

On the other hand, some other critics have come to appreciate the so-called stereotypes because of the factual and historical content they have. It is important to point it out at this point that factions or work of fiction that have elements of history are guilty of bringing this subject up for discussion or argument most times.

Let's get things straight here. If some unquestionable force has not come up with another meaning for the word "stereotype", something is wrong. Stereotype used to mean something which is fixed in form; used and repeated without thought or change. If it still does, the words "form" and "change" should be noted.

Below are some of the cogent points with which this subject can be examined:

·         Literature and History

·         Something New; Not Literary Puritanism

·         Emphasis

·         The Society: Literature's Brooding Mother

 

Literature and History

One feature that stands out among the many Literature has is Verisimilitude. Literature irrespective of the genre draws from everything that happens in the real world. Akeem Lasisi despite that the fact he discusses the route to matrimony and the feminine mind as his subject (in his anthology of poetry, 'Night of my Flight'), he still imbibes elements of history in poems like "Gani Fawehinmi", "Kudi Abiola", "Ajibola Ige!" and the like.

Odia Ofeimun in "Go Tell the Generals" explores from the perspective of history the rule of the military Junta in Nigeria. Play texts like "Trials of Zedan Kimathi", "Fate of a Cockroach" and "Ovoramwen Nogbaisi" all of African origin made history their reference points. Thus, what should make prose (fiction in particular) not to draw from history which is a fertile land for literary resources?

The hunch that has suddenly appeared on the back of the act of concocting elements of fiction with history is Criticism.

Factions or historical fictions suffer a lot of criticism on being stereotypic. The notion that all historical works are works with the subjects that have been explored completely and therefore should be dumped for some other subjects is wrong.

What matters or counts here is not the subject! What then is it? STYLE.

Adichie has told her story about the 1967 Nigeria Civil War, likewise Akachi Ezeigbo in "Roses and Bullets". Let's give room for some comparison. Did they explore to the same depth or in the same way this thematic preoccupation? These authors have come out with the same outputs. Readers of the recently mentioned are subjected to experiencing works of different styles and modes of narration. Creativity is highly exalted in Literature and neither of these works fall short of it.

Moreover, there is no world as full and free as that of Literature. It is for this reason that a writer may decide to make all his or her works revolve round the same subject or decide to pick from different or diverse spheres of existence.

To cap it on "Literature and History", let's note that with no "Weep not Child", "Things Fall Apart", "Purple Hibiscus" and the rest, how does the African youthful mind see the route that has led to the present or read the map that reveals the future? Remember, Literature can build as well as murder. When it becomes silent on history or fails to appreciate what is now called "Stereotype", it clinches the latter attribute.

 

Something New; Not Literary Puritanism

Literature is fast becoming the Plymouth and Boston of this contemporary world and the protestant are…

Critics! One thing they should stand for is not what most of them stand for. Using the words of Brutus, a Shakespearean character, they are meant to be "purgers" and not "murderers".

In the course of "purging" or criticizing, critics tend to be extra-ordinarily fastidious. They therefore fail to look at the profundity of some of their arguments.

Really, new things need to spring up from African fiction but should we make ourselves blind to what needs to be emphasized the more in our Literature? In an Africa where corruption thrives like evil in the darkness, shouldn't the writers of this generation explore the theme in their works?

 

Emphasis

In poetry, when a word or line keeps recurring, an effect is being created – EMPHASIS. That Lola Shoneyin makes "The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives" a feminist novel just as Buchi Emecheta's "Joys of Motherhood" is for one reason. The Africa that existed decades ago has not changed in any way…

 

… The Society: Literature's Brooding Mother

Literature experiences transformation only if the society embraces transformation. Then why should "stereotype" be a thing of the past when it is as appreciated as it is appalling in Africa? When America Literature is taken as a case study, it becomes overt how the society can influence its Literature. The gods of metamorphosis which the American society appeased brought or resulted in the Literature of colonial America, Literature of Reason and Revolution, Literature of Romanticism, Realism and that of the 21^st century which are the different ages in American Literature.

 

Whenever this subject crops up, one's tent is better pitched on a wall higher than Jericho's.

 

© Oyebanji Ayo.

He could be reached via ayoyebanji@gmail.com

Stereotype and the Influence of Media on African Books

By Monica Ivanov

 

I have always been a reader; at first a school book borrower and now a book collector. What I was reading…?

I had a list of books called classical universal literature. In reality, the only Universal thing about it was that we all had to read it. These books were a collection of only Western authors so little related with our identity but to which we all dreamed to belong. Probably this is the reason I never questioned myself back then if Western actually means Universal. Today I call them religious, political, social and psychological meticulously brushed books, carefully selected to fit the education purpose of the youth and successfully making us see the world through a tiny key hole.

Fast forward...…>>> Today I have no more lists of books. Or at least this is how I fooled myself to believe. There is a huge book industry available nowadays from 3-4 floors high book stores to online shops like Amazon.com. The question remains how do you pick your book? This is the moment when we get drowned between Bestsellers, Manager's picks, Celebrity Book Clubs, Advertising and the most notorious bias creator; the Media etc. Yes, we are back to the list but a more dangerous one.

If you find yourself in one of the biggest book stores in New York, don't be surprised to discover that the only two African literary pieces available to read are those of Uwem Akpan and Ishmael Beah. Why are they bestsellers? The facts are simple to understand; they write things the Western (including her media and publishing houses) want to read and promote about Africa. In Uwen Akapan's "Say You Are One of Them", the stories are the same Western fondled tales of children poverty, inter ethnic conflicts and child traffic. Ishmael Beah follows in this stead too in his book, "A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier", which describes to details the ordeals from child-soldiering, UNICEF, rap music, African wars, violence, etc.

It is true conflicts and violence is part of the African reality but only in few countries from the 53 other nations of the continent. Orphan-hood, Education and Health issues require a lot of work but Africa is not the only place which could do better. According to United Nations 2009 literacy report, United States ranks 21 while Cuba and Palestine rank number 2 on the statistics; World Health Organization scores United States number 72 on health, which is worse than the levels Iran, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt are placed on. When infant mortality rate in US is compared with the data of Cuba, Cuba's pale in comparison with the US. These are just some of the few examples to show that a stereotyped story is not the complete stories of what a place or nation is known for.

So how do the Western-adored stories about Africa end up defining the African brand and the bestseller books?

Books are mirrors into the soul of a nation and the danger of a single story creates stereotypes for both readers and frustration for writers who especially find themselves turned down by publishers because their works don't rise to the market demands of crafting the gory and depreciating African stories to the reading public.

This is the time we must remember the African wisdom; "Until the lions have their own historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters" and write the other side of story.

 

African stories must not be defined by any measure or yardstick of sufferings and violence. There is always a good story to be told about any place.

 

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·         This article was contributed by Monica Ivanov, a literary and facebook friend. She lives in New York. She could be reached on Facebook through her mail: mqmivanov@yahoo.com