Basing Aesthetic Issues on African Discourses

Abstract

In the view of many commentators, the picture with regard to African-language literature is bleak. To many critics, African-language literature both in the present and the past is a failed enterprise. In their view it is a literature dominated by the demands of the school market, and it has tended to produce repetitive and childish plots. It is a literature that has failed to respond to the socio-political and historical realities from which it has emerged (Chapman 1996; Mphahlele 1992; Kunene 1991 , 1992). Many critics and commentators expected that after 1994, the situation might change. However, for many critics, this promise has not materialised. Instead, much African-language literature simply repeats old themes, styles, discourses, plots and strategies of characterisation (Grobler 1995; Mtuze 1994). This article seeks to engage with existing modes of criticism to ask whether these are the most appro­priate and whether they might not be limited understandings of African-language literature. It also seeks to utilise a new approach, formulated by Barber, whose studies focus on African everyday culture and draw on Bakhtin's (1981) and Lefebvre's (1947) studies of ordinary people and everyday life experiences, a do­main which African-language literature addresses. Such an approach will allow us to read old themes and texts in new ways while locating the emergence of new post­apartheid themes in African-language literature.

Opsomming
Baie kommentators skilder 'n droewige prentjie van letterkunde in die Afrikatale, en verskeie kritici meen dat pogings om letterkunde in Afrikatale te ontwikkel, beide in die verlede en vandag misluk het. Volgens hulle word letterkunde in die Afrikatale deur die vereistes van die skoolonderwysmark oorheers en is gevolglik geneig om dieselfde kinderagtige intriges voortdurend te herhaal. Dit is 'n letterkunde wat nie daarin geslaag het om op die sosio-politieke en historiese werklikhede waaruit dit ontstaan het, te reageer nie (Chapman 1996; Mphahlele 1992; Kunene 1991, 1992). ). Kritici en kommentators het verwag dat die situasie na 1994 sou verander, maar vir baie is daar nooit aan die verwagtinge voldoen nie. In plaas daarvan word letter­kunde in Afrikatale grootliks gekenmerk deur die herhaling van ou temas, stylvorme, diskoerse, intriges en karakteriseringstrategie (Grobler 1995; Mtuze 1994).

Hierdie artikel is daarop gerig om die bestaande vorme van kritiek te ondersoek om vas te stel of hierdie kritiek toepaslik op letterkunde in Afrikatale is en of daar nie miskien 'n gebrek aan insig ten opsigte van letterkunde in Afrikatale bestaan nie. 'n Nuwe benadering, soos deur Barber geformuleer in haar studies wat op alledaagse Afrika­kultuur fokus, word gevolg. Daar word ook gebruik gemaak van Bakhtin (1981) en Lefebvre (1947) se navorsing oor gewone mense en alledaagse lewenservaringe, 'n onderwerp wat telkens in Afrikatale-letterkunde voorkom. Sodanige benadering sal ons in staat stel om ou temas en tekste vanuit 'n nuwe perspektief te benader en terselfdertyd die verskyning van nuwe post-apartheid-temas in Afrikatale-letterkunde te identifiseer.