MALAWI ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY

PROGRAMME: BACHELORS OF ARTS IN EDUCATION (BAE)

SUBJECT: HUMANITIES

YEAR/ LEVEL: YEAR TWO/ SEMESTER 2

COURSE NAME: INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES

COURSE CODE: BAE 2033

QUESTION

Argue for or against whether themes in African novels and short stories are a true reflection of
African Societies

PRESENTED TO: LECTURER LOVENESS KAMBUWA

PRESENTED BY: LENNSON C. CHIKOMO

SUBMISSION DATE: JULY, 2022

Yeibo, E. (2011) maintains that a writer’s style is informed and shaped by the totality of his or her
social and political background, religious disposition, cultural beliefs, experience, educational
accomplishment, geographical setting and exposure. Particularly, the African literary artists are
appealingly influenced by African culture. Therefore African novels and short stories cannot be
separated from the political, cultural beliefs as well as social setting of the area where the author is
acquainted with. This paper is analyzing the way African novels and short stories are the true
reflection of African society. In this regard a number of selected African novels and short stories are
to be highlighted.

The first novel to be analyzed is ‘Tale of Tamari’ by Shimmer Chinodya. Tamari is fourteen years
old girl whose parents have died and she lives with her brother, Kuda, in their home where the rooms
have been let to lodgers. Her Uncle Banda supposedly keeps an eye on them, but is more concerned
about how much money he can make from the tenants.  It is a story that shows the reader a richly
varied part of life in Zimbabwe today as orphans make their way into a future. One of the themes
highlighted in this novella is the plight of a girl child. Collins dictionary define the word plight as a
difficult or distressing situation that is full of problems. In the Tale of Tamari, Tamari as a girl child
is exposed to a number of challenges ranging from abuse by her fellow students at school, struggling
with poverty as she has to take care of her brother as well. This situation is the true reflection of what
girls in sub-Saharan Africa are facing even in all parts of Africa. A good example is what a girl child
is facing here in Malawi. Girls are facing more challenges in their day to day life which are ranging
from lack of basic necessities at school, leading child-headed homes due to the death of both parents
as well as forced marriages. Bearden, A, (2014) reported that Many adolescent girls also end their
education early when they do not have access to a school bathroom or sanitary napkins. This is the
same with how Tamari is portrayed in The Tale of Tamari as at Tamari experiences her first
menstruation and boys at school tease her by canting “pregnancy”. Linda gives her a piece of cloth to
cover herself. This Cleary shows lack of change rooms at school as well as lack of sanitary napkins.
Such is also the situation in most Malawian schools where there is frequent absenteeism as well as
school drop out in the part of girls as they are failing to have sanitary materials to use in time of
menstruation resulted in girls staying away from school during such times.

Secondly, the impact of war which has been portrayed in the short story by Chinua Achebe in titled
‘Civil Peace.’ This is a story about a man named Jonathan Iweghu, an ex-miner who lost all but his
family in a war; he loses his son in the war who is shot . With no money at all, he manages to start his
own business to get back on his feet and support the family. In very little time this goal is achieved
through hard work. As he is trying to put his life together he is badgered by looting thieves who want
everything that he has worked for. This story is the true reflection of African societies mainly
countries who have been at civil war. Examples of these countries are Mozambique, Angola and
Democratic Republic of Congo that were in civil wars which resulted in people losing their
properties and life as well. These countries despite restoration of peace, are suffering from the
aftermath of war such as increase level of theft. The impact of war is really felt in these countries.
Pearn J. (2003). Pointed out that children have been deliberately targeted victims in genocidal civil
wars in Africa in the past decade, and hundreds of thousands have been killed and maimed in the
context of close-quarter, hand-to-hand assaults of great ferocity. This shows how African novels and
short stories are a true reflection of African society.

The effects of HIV and Aids on children in African society are also reflected in African novels and
short stories. The good example is in Chinodya’s Tale of Tamari. In this novella Tamari and her
brother Khuda are orphans as they lost their parents due to HIV and Aids. Being double orphans they
are facing a lot of problems in their everyday lives. For example although their parents left them with
a house which a number of people were lodging in it was difficult for them to have a full access of
the proceeds from the house. Uncle Banda who happens to be their uncle was the one controlling the
house and collecting rentals every month and just giving a fraction of the rentals to the children. The
same scenario is happening to African children who are orphans due to the deaths of their parents
who died of illnesses related to HIV and Aids. These children are facing a number of challenges such
as property grabbing and stigmatization. Gilborn L. Z. (2002). Pointed out that, one of ‘the most
important effects of AIDS on children is emotional. Children witness the prolonged suffering and
death of parents and other loved ones. Some shift “foster” homes several times as even their
guardians die. Others lose contact with siblings shunted to different households. They lose
opportunities and fear that they, too, are infected with HIV. And because of the silence surrounding
HIV and AIDS, they worry alone about their future.’ Such are also the cases in Malawi where effects
of orphan hood are felt on children as more children are dropping out of schools due to lack basic
school needs. As a result more children are turned into street beggars loaming city streets.

Lastly, African writers are not leaving out the issue of exploitation in their writings which is a true
reflection of African society. The short story in review here is ‘The spider’s Web’ by Leornard
Kibera. It is the story about Ngotho who was working for the family of Mrs. Knight. Mrs. Knight
was abusing Ngotho so much and it was a relief that the family was going home and he was to have a
black boss. Ngotho expected end of exploitation in the whole country. It was so as black people were
now leaders for fellow blacks. Unfortunately that is not the case as people who fought for
independence together are now divided and everyone cares for oneself. House servants suffer in the
hands of black masters. This is the true reflection of African society today where workers are being
exploited by their employers. AS good example is what is happening in Malawi where more workers
are working under harsh environment; receiving peanuts despite their hard work, being locked in
factories thereby contravening their human rights as well as facing unfair dismissals. Malawi 24
news edition of 24th January, 2922, reported Sexual abuse of female workers rampant in estates in
Malawi. The online news reported that estates usually employ workers on temporary basis at the
beginning of the season and managers take advantage of this arrangement to sexually abuse women

looking for work. The reporter pointed out the situation at Limbuli Tea Estate, where three managers
and a supervisor forced female workers to have sex with them in order to have their jobs secured.
That is one of examples on how workers are being exploited in African society as reflected by some
of the works of the works of African authors.

In conclusion, I stand to agree that African novels and short stories as a true reflection of African
society as this paper has highlighted. In this way one can conclude that African novels and short
stories are not just a bunch of fictions but they are tools to address problems faced by people in
African society.
REFERENCES

Collins Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.collinsdictionary.com on 06/30/2022.

Bearden, A. (2014). 6 pressing challenge facing women and girls - and how we're
helping. https://opportunity.org/news/blog

Yeibo (2011). Nativazation of English in African Literary Text: A Lexico-Semantic Study of

Chinodya, S. (2003) Tale of Tamari. Weaver Press, Zimbabwe

Pearn J. (2003). Children and war. Journal of paediatrics and child health, 39(3), 166–172.
Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1754.2003.00124.x on 06/30/2022.

Gilborn L. Z. (2002). The effects of HIV infection and AIDS on children in Africa. The Western
journal of medicine, 176(1), 12–14. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1136/ewjm.176.1.12 on
06/30/2022.

Achebe, C. (1984). Civil Peace: African Short stories. Heinemann, London

Achebe, C. (1984). The Spider Web: African Short stories. Heinemann, London

Malawi 24 Reporter, (Jan 28/2022) Sexual Abuse of Female workers rampant in Estates in Malawi.
Retrieved from

https://malawi24.com on 06/30/2022