Chapter Seven: Critical Analysis of Pre-colonial and Colonial Literature
Introduction
Literary analysis is an activity that involves a close reading and interpretation of a literary text. We carry out literary analysis to identify meaning, which can be presented directly or indirectly. In this chapter, you will learn to apply modern literary theories to analyse pre-colonial and colonial literary texts. The competencies developed will enable you to critique several issues in pre-colonial and colonial literary texts using various theories.
How literary representation of pre-colonial and colonial circumstances can be subjected to modern literary theories?
Did you know?
Analysing a literary text by using a literary theory requires one to have knowledge of the procedures to follow and the principles of the theory to use. Here are the procedures for analysing a literary text:
- Reading the text’s title and working out its general meaning
- Studying the book cover picture closely, if any, and suggesting what it represents
- Reading a blurb (a short description giving information about the book) that appears at the back of a printed book
- Reading the text and noting down all the details
- Re-reading the text to trace and examine your first reading observations as well as assumptions and experiences you have about the text
- Analysing literary texts’ storylines (the occurrence of events) in order to understand the story’s subject matter
- Using the subject matter to determine the central theme and minor themes of the literary text
- Formulating impressions about minor and major characters based on speeches, actions and other characters’ comments about them, then relating them to the theme(s) of the literary text
- Evaluating the language used by specifically paying attention to the choice of words, sentence structure, figurative language and tone used to convey meaning
- Drawing conclusions, inferences and implications regarding life, experiences, paradoxical issues and the world at large through all the presentations in the literary text
These procedures are suggested to facilitate smooth and critical reading that will result in critical literary text analysis. You are advised to annotate your observations and unresolved questions during the analysis.
Applying Formalism Theory to Analyse the Form of Literary Texts
Critical analysis of literary text considers both form and content. In this section, you are introduced to the analysis of form through formalism theory.
Activity 7.1
Read a literary text and answer the following questions:
- In what ways is beauty unveiled in the language of the literary text?
- In what ways is beauty revealed in the overall structure of the literary text?
- In what ways does the text creatively define or redefine the literary tradition it attributes to?
Activity 7.2
Read a literary text and answer the following questions:
- Who is the main character?
- How do you identify the main character?
- Who are the minor characters? How are they depicted in relation to the main character?
- What actions are performed by each of the characters?
- How does language reveal the reasons/forces/motivations behind the characters’ actions?
- How are characters’ actions and speeches, feelings and behaviour revealed in the text?
- What techniques does the author use to reveal the character’s views on life? Do their views differ from yours? Explain.
- What techniques does the author use to depict characters’ actions as believable or not? Explain.
- How do the characters relate to each other? Does this relation affect the story’s motion?
- How do the characters’ actions contribute to the meaning of the text?
Activity 7.3
Read a literary text and answer the following questions:
- How are the physical or imaginary locations in which the events/actions occur represented?
- How does the physical or imaginary location of that event/action contribute to the understanding and believability of the story?
- What literary techniques reveal the atmosphere that surrounds the events/actions in the story?
Activity 7.4
Read a literary text and answer the following questions:
- What is the social context of the story?
- What is the historical context of the story?
- What is the political context of the story?
- What is the cultural context of the story?
- How does each of these contexts contribute to the story’s development?
- How do these types of contexts determine behaviour, goals, actions and beliefs held by characters in the story?
Activity 7.5
Read a literary text and answer the following questions:
- What is the controlling idea/issue of the story?
- What are the other ideas/issues that relate to the main idea in the story?
- What are other relevant ideas worth mentioning in the story?
- How are the main and minor ideas represented in the story?
- What conflicts are explicitly expressed in the story? How are they represented?
- What literary techniques have been employed to express conflicts in the story?
- How is the lesson conveyed/depicted in the story?
Activity 7.6
Read a literary text and answer the following questions:
- Examine the arrangement of its events.
- What are the actions/events that mark the beginning of the story?
- What are the actions/events that mark the climax of the story? How are they depicted?
- What are the actions/events that mark the end of the story?
- How does the arrangement of events affect the story’s development?
- How are the difficulties the protagonist encounters in executing his/her duties depicted in the story?
- What literary elements predict the future in the story?
- Are there twists and turns in the course of the story? Explain.
- What are the events that act as turning points in the characters’ fortune/life? How are they portrayed?
Activity 7.7
a) Read a literary text and identify the figures of speech used in the text. Write the figures of speech, examples and the meaning they convey in the following table:
| S/N | Figure of Speech | Example Expression | Meaning Conveyed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 |
Applying Modern Literary Theories to Analyse the Content of Literary Texts
Literary texts do not just tell stories for pleasure; they also convey messages and express attitudes, beliefs and philosophies of a culture or society through character’s actions and interactions. It should be noted that the focus of some of the modern theories is largely on thematic representation. Therefore, when using these theories, a reader should focus mostly on themes, messages, and lessons identified in the story.
Feminism Theory
Activity 7.8
Read a literary text and discuss the thematic representation based on the following aspects:
- The representation of women in the story as survivors or victims
- Gender freedom to express one’s feelings and emotions
- Socio-cultural relationships based on gender domination, oppression and subjugation
- Self-realisation, such as awareness of individual power, capabilities and self-respect
- The interaction between female and male characters
- Sexual enslavement and oppression
- Female actions and empowerment
- Self-liberation from gender inequality under the patriarchy system
Marxism Theory
Activity 7.9
Read a literary text and discuss the thematic representation based on the following aspects:
- The representation of socio-economic classes and statuses
- Restriction or empowerment of characters
- Representation of class struggle and its outcome
- The relationship between the character and the state (superstructure)
- The representation of characters from different races, cultural backgrounds, and socio-economic statuses (segregation or inclusion)
Post-colonial Theory
Activity 7.10
Read a literary text and discuss the thematic representation based on the following aspects:
- The clash between native and Western culture and its results
- Dichotomy (categorisation) of power and leadership
- Cultural, religious, economic and social enslavement
- Experiences of colonialism such as exploitation, slavery, land appropriation, forced labour, low wages, oppression and segregation
- The relationship between the colonised and colonisers
- Loss and reformation of identities
- Consequences of African encounters with Europeans, such as hybridity and otherness
- The reaction of natives towards colonialism and its evils (protest and resistance against colonialism)
- The representation of disillusionment of the majority in post-colonial society
Eco-criticism Theory
Activity 7.11
Read a literary text and discuss the thematic representation based on the following aspects:
- The author’s view on nature and humanity
- The representation of human behaviour and actions and their impact on nature
- The representation of environmental challenges, along with logical solutions
- The relationship between culture and nature
- The contribution of characters towards environmental restoration
Social Learning Theory
Activity 7.12
Read a literary text and discuss the thematic representation based on the following aspects:
- The characters who are role models for economic growth
- The lesson that the main character learns from his/her interaction with other characters
- The role of education in the society
- The social, economic and political knowledge readers obtain from reading literary texts
Analysis Framework for Pre-colonial and Colonial Literature
Pre-colonial Literature Analysis
- Oral traditions and storytelling techniques
- Cultural values and community ethics
- Indigenous knowledge systems
- Spiritual and religious beliefs
- Social organization and governance
- Relationship with nature and environment
Colonial Literature Analysis
- Representation of colonial power dynamics
- Cultural clash and assimilation
- Resistance and accommodation
- Identity formation and crisis
- Language and cultural hegemony
- Economic exploitation themes
Discerning Lessons from Literary Texts
Activity 7.13
a) Read a literary text and answer the following questions:
- What is the text about?
- How are themes found in the text depicted to make readers learn?
- What messages do you think the author intends to deliver to the audience?
- How do characters’ experiences reflect real-life situations?
- What moral or ethical lessons can be drawn from the text?
- How does the text contribute to your understanding of historical events or social issues?
- What cultural insights does the text provide?
- How can the lessons from the text be applied to contemporary society?
Comparative Analysis: Pre-colonial vs Colonial Literature
| Aspect | Pre-colonial Literature | Colonial Literature |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Themes | Community, tradition, oral history, spiritual beliefs, nature | Cultural conflict, identity crisis, resistance, power dynamics, assimilation |
| Narrative Forms | Oral storytelling, folktales, proverbs, myths, legends | Written forms, novels, essays, poetry influenced by European traditions |
| Language Use | Indigenous languages, symbolic imagery, proverbial expressions | Colonial languages, code-switching, linguistic hybridity |
| Character Representation | Community-oriented characters, archetypal figures, ancestral heroes | Marginalized subjects, hybrid identities, resistance figures |
| Purpose/Function | Cultural preservation, moral instruction, community cohesion | Cultural negotiation, political commentary, identity assertion |
Key Analytical Terms for Pre-colonial and Colonial Literature
OralityThe quality of being spoken or verbally transmitted rather than writtenHybridityThe mixing of cultures and identities resulting from colonial encountersOtheringThe process of defining and marginalizing people as fundamentally differentCultural HegemonyDomination of one cultural group over others through social institutionsSubalternMarginalized groups and perspectives excluded from established power structuresMimicryColonized people’s imitation of colonizers’ culture, often with subtle resistance
Practical Application: Text Analysis Framework
Use this framework to analyze any pre-colonial or colonial literary text:
Step 1: Contextual Understanding
- Identify the historical period and cultural context
- Research the author’s background and perspective
- Understand the socio-political circumstances
Step 2: Formal Analysis
- Examine narrative structure and literary devices
- Analyze character development and relationships
- Study language use and stylistic elements
Step 3: Theoretical Application
- Apply relevant literary theories (choose 2-3)
- Identify how each theory reveals different aspects
- Compare insights from different theoretical approaches
Step 4: Critical Interpretation
- Synthesize findings from different analyses
- Draw conclusions about themes and messages
- Relate text to broader historical and cultural issues
Assessment Questions
- Select one pre-colonial literary text and analyze how it reflects the cultural values and social organization of its time using formalism theory.
- Choose a colonial literary text and apply post-colonial theory to examine how it represents the relationship between colonizers and the colonized.
- Compare and contrast the representation of women in one pre-colonial and one colonial literary text using feminist theory.
- Analyze how environmental themes are treated in both pre-colonial and colonial literature using eco-criticism theory.
- Using social learning theory, discuss what lessons contemporary readers can learn from pre-colonial literary texts.
- Apply Marxist theory to analyze class dynamics in a colonial literary text of your choice.
- How does the language used in colonial literature reflect the power dynamics of the colonial period?
- Discuss how pre-colonial oral traditions influenced the development of written literature during the colonial period.
- Analyze the concept of resistance in colonial literature using two different literary theories.
- How can modern literary theories help us understand the continued relevance of pre-colonial literary texts today?
Exercise: Comparative Analysis
Select one pre-colonial text and one colonial text from your syllabus and complete the following comparative analysis:
| Analysis Aspect | Pre-colonial Text | Colonial Text |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Themes | ||
| Representation of Culture | ||
| Character Development | ||
| Narrative Techniques | ||
| Language and Style | ||
| Social Commentary | ||
| Relevance to Contemporary Issues |
Discussion Questions:
- What are the most significant differences between how pre-colonial and colonial texts represent African societies?
- How do the different historical contexts influence the themes and styles of these texts?
- What continuities can you identify between pre-colonial and colonial literary traditions?
- How do these texts contribute to our understanding of African literary history?