Perspectives on Written Cameroon Literature in English

A. Ambanasom

Description

In 2009, Anglophone Cameroon literature celebrated its fifty years of existence. Now at the mature age of fifty plus this literature has a great deal to write home about even if it still has a lot to do in its pursuit of excellence. Part of its maturity resides in the fact that although the scale of literary creativity and literary criticism is skewed in favour of the former, Anglophone Cameroon literary criticism is gradually waking up from slumber in an attempt to catch up with the rapidly expanding creativity. The essays in this book comment practically on some aspects of all the genres of written literature that the Anglophone Cameroon creative writers have produced so far: the novel, drama, poetry, the short story, the essay and children�s literature. The essays, on the whole, are a testimony of the transition and reality from the apparent drought of Anglophone Cameroon literary paucity to the actual fruitful period of Anglophone Cameroon abundance of literary creativity. The Anglophone Cameroonians have appropriated an imperial language, English, to serve their postcolonial Cameroonian vision. Their various literary texts are vehicles of representations that are essentially cultural and ideological constructs. The works examined are initially anchored on Cameroonian experiences to take on social significance. As they are grounded on moving human experiences, these works necessarily make references to the immediate Cameroonian environment of their authors before taking on universal human significance. The book abundantly evidences and crowns Shadrach Ambanasom�s achievements and reputation as a skilled pedagogue on the art of practical literary criticism.

Sujets

• Literary Criticism

Informations

• Publié par: Langaa RPCIG
• Date de parution: 17 février 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• EAN13: 9789956790500
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

In 2009, Anglophone Cameroon literature celebrated its fifty years of existence. Now at the mature age of fifty plus this literature has a great deal to write home about even if it still has a lot to do in its pursuit of excellence. Part of its maturity resides in the fact that although the scale of literary creativity and literary criticism is skewed in favour of the former, Anglophone Cameroon literary criticism is gradually waking up from slumber in an attempt to catch up with the rapidly expanding creativity. The essays in this book comment practically on some aspects of all the genres of written literature that the Anglophone Cameroon creative writers have produced so far: the novel, drama, poetry, the short story, the essay and children’s literature. The essays, on the whole, are a testimony of the transition and reality from the apparent drought of Anglophone Cameroon literary paucity to the actual fruitful period of Anglophone Cameroon abundance of literary creativity. The Anglophone

their postcolonial Cameroonian vision. Their various literary texts are vehicles of representations that are essentially cultural and ideological constructs. The works examined are initially anchored on Cameroonian experiences to take on social significance. As they are grounded on moving human experiences, these works necessarily make references to the immediate Cameroonian environment of their authors before taking on universal human significance. The book abundantly evidences and crowns Shadrach Ambanasom’s achievements and reputation as a skilled pedagogue on the art of practical literary criticism.

North-West Region of Cameroon. He holds the following academic diplomas: CAPCEG, Modern Letters (University of Yaounde 1); BA (Hons) English (University of London); MEd; MA and PhD (Ohio University). He is an initiated member of the American KAPPA DELTA PI, an honour society which encourages high professional, intellectual and personal standards and recognizes outstanding contributions to education. Presently he is Associate Professor and Head of the English Department at ENS Annexe Bambili, University of Bamenda. His publications with Langaa include

Perspectives on Written

Perspectives on Written Cameroon Literature in English

ShadrachA.Ambanasom

Perspectives on Written Cameroon Literature in English Shadrach A. Ambanasom

L a ng a a R esea rch & P u blishing CIG Mankon, Bamenda

Publisher: LangaaRPCIG Langaa Research & Publishing Common Initiative Group P.O. Box 902 Mankon Bamenda North West Region Cameroon [e-mail] www.langaa-rpcig.net Distributed in and outside N. America by African Books Collective [e-mail] www.africanbookcollective.com ISBN: 9956-728-29-2 ©Shadrach A. Ambanasom 2013

DISCLAIMER

All views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Langaa RPCIG.

Table of Contents Sources…………………………………………..vii Acknowledgements…………………………….. xi Preface………………………………………….. xiii Introduction…………………………………….. xv Part One: General Essays……………………. 1 1. Half a Century of Written Anglophone Cameroon Literature……………………………………….. 3 2. Critical Approaches in the Criticism of Cameroon Literature of English Expression………………... 33 3. Cameroonian Creative Writers and the Language Problem………………………………………… 51 4. The African Writer and the Preservation of Cultural Values…………………………………………... 67 5. The Cameroonian Novel of English Expression……………………………………… 79 Part Two: Specific Literary Studies…………. 98 6. Ideology in Three Dramatic Works: Victor Epie Ngome’s What God Has Put Asunder,Bate Besong’s and Beasts of No Nation andRequiem for the Last Kaiser.....................................................................101 7. The Educational Significance of the Cameroon Novel of English Expression: Focus on Four Texts……………………………. 141 iii

8. Deconstructing Gender Hierarchy: A Study of Margaret Afuh’sBorn Before Her Time………………………159 9. The Anti-Heroes of L. T. Asong’s Fiction: Focus on Five Novels…………………………………………... 175 10. Two Opposing Trends in Mongo Beti’s Fiction: A Study of Remember RubenandPerpetua……………………..197 11. Pedagogy of the Deprived: A Study of the Plays of Victor Epie Ngome, Bole Butake and Bate Besong…………………………………….. 213 12. Anatomy of a Short Story: An Analysis of Bole Butake’s The Way of the City……………………………….231 13. The Orality of the Works of Four Anglophone Writers: Linus Asong, Bole Butake, Bongasu Kishani, Fale Wache………………………………………237 14. The Modernist Character of Bate Besong’s Poetry………………………………… 257 15. The Quintessence of Bernard Fonlon………. 269 Part Three: Book Reviews…………………….282 16. Bole Butake,Lake God and Other PlaysEditions Yaoundé: CLE, 1999……………………………………… 283 17. L. T. Asong,The Akroma File,Bamenda: Patron Publishing House,1997…………………………………….. 287

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18. Alobwed’Epie,The Death Certificate, Yaoundé: Editions CLE, 2004……………………………………… 293 19. John Nkemngong Nkengasong,Across the Mongolo, Ibadan: Spectrum Books Limited, 2004…………………………………… 299 20. Alobwed’Epie,The Lady With A Beard, Yaoundé: Editions CLE, 2005……………………………………… 303 21. John Nkemngong Nkengasong,The Widow’s Might, Yaoundé: Editions CLE, 2006…………………. 309 22. John Ngong Kum,Walls of Agony, Yaoundé: Editions CLE 2006…………………………………………….. 313 23. John Ngong Kum,Battle for Survival, Yaoundé: Editions CLE 2006……………………………................. 317 24. Introducing L. T. Asong: The Major Talent of Cameroon Fiction in English………………………………. 321 25. Francis B. Nyamnjoh,A Nose for Money, East African Educational Publishers Ltd, 2006……………… 327 Conclusion……………………………………..333

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Sources

General Essays 1. ‘Half a Century of Written Anglophone Cameroon Literature.’ Paper presented first at the fifth ACWA Conference in the British Council in Yaoundé (2008), and then later as a keynote address on the occasion of the EduArt Literary Awards Night at Capitol Hotel Buea July 18, 2008. Posted at EduArt Website. 2. ‘Critical Approaches in the Criticism of Cameroon Literature of English Expression.’ Paper presented at a language and literature seminar organised by the English Department of the University of Buea in January 2001. Published in Chia, Tala and Jick (eds.)Globalisation and the African Experience: Implications for Language, Literature and Education.Anucam 2005. 3. ‘Cameroon Creative Writers and the Language Problem.’ Paper published inSouth-South Journal of Culture and Development.Edition, Volume 3 No. 2 December Special 2001. 4. ‘The African Writer and the Preservation of Cultural Values.’ Paper first published in my monograph:Matter and Manner Bamenda: Unique Printers, 1990. Still in the early 1990s the very version of the paper was published by Cameroon Tribune. 5. ‘The Cameroonian Novel of English Expression.’ Paper published inSouth-South Journal of Culture and Development Volume 8 No. 1 June 2006. Specific Literary Studies 6. ‘Ideology in Three Dramatic Works: Victor Epie Ngome’s What God Has Put Asunder, and Bate Besong’sBeasts of No NationandRequiem for the Last Kaiser.’initially Paper programmed to be published by the English Department of

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the University of Buea as Perspectives on Anglophone Cameroon Drama. 7. ‘The Educational Significance of the Cameroon Novel of English Expression: Focus on Four Texts.’ Paper presented at International Conference on Language, Literature and Education, University of Yaoundé I. 11 – 14 May 2006. Proceedings published in Kenneth Harrow and Kizitus Mpoche (eds.)Language, Literature and Education in Multicultural Societies, Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2008. 8. ‘Deconstructing Gender Hierarchy: A Study of Margaret Afuh’sBorn Before Her Time.’Paper presented at ACWA first Annual Conference in Bamenda 2003. Presented again in st its present form at 1 International Conference on Language, Literature and Identity, University of Yaoundé I 31 March – 3 April 2005. Proceedings published in Paul Mbangwana, Kizitus Mpoche, Tennu Mbuh (eds.)Language, Literature and Identity.Göttigen: Cuvillier Verlag, 2006. 9. ‘The Anti-Heroes of L. T. Asong’s Fiction: Focus on Four Texts.’ Paper published in Edward O. Ako (ed.)Cameroon Literature in English: Critical Essays on Fiction and Drama. Berlin: LIT. Verlag, 2009. 10. ‘Two Opposing Trends in Mongo Beti’s Fiction: A Study ofRemember Ruben andPerpetua.’Paper published inEpasa Moto. Volume 2 No. 1 March 2004. 11. ‘Pedagogy of the Deprived: A Study of the Plays of Victor Epie Ngome, Bole Butake, and Bate Besong.’ Paper presented at Conference on Cameroon Literature, University of Buea in 1994, whose proceedings were published in a special edition ofEpasa Moto1996. 12. ‘Anatomy of a Short Story: An Analysis of Bole Butake’s The Way of the City’.Paper presented in Yaoundé on the th occasion of Professor Bole Butake’s 50 anniversary, 1997. 13. ‘The Orality of the Works of Four Anglophone Writers: Linus Asong, Bole Butake, Bongasu Kishani, Fale Wache.’ Paper presented at Workshop on Anglophone Writing in Cameroon held at the Goethe Institute, Yaoundé 1993.

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Proceedings were published that very year by Bayreuth African Studies 30 (WEKA No 1). 14. ‘The Modernist Character of Bate Besong’s Poetry.’ Paper published inEpasa MotoVolume 4 No 1 March, 2009. 15. ‘The Quintessence of Bernard Fonlon.’ Paper published in my monograph:Matter and Manner, Bamenda: Unique Printers, 1990. Book Reviews 16. Bole Butake,Lake God and Other Plays.Editions Yaoundé: CLE, 1999. Review published in M. Banham, J. Gibbs, F. Osofisan (eds.)African Theatre: Playwrights & Politics.Oxford: James Currey, 2001. 17. L. T. Asong,The Akroma File. Bamenda: Patron Publishing House, 1997. Review published inVoices: The Wisconsin Review of African Literatures.(Fall 1999) Issue 2. 18. Alobwed’Epie,The Death Certificate. Yaoundé: Editions CLE, 2004. Review published inThe Post No. 0639 (Monday February 7, 2005):8. 19. John Nkemngong Nkengasong,Across The Mongolo.Ibadan: Spectrum Books Limited, 2004. Review published inThe PostNo. 0635 (Monday 24 January 2005): 4. 20. Alobwed’Epie,The Lady With A Beard.Editions Yaoundé: CLE, 2005. Review published inThe Post0707 (Monday 10 October 2005):8. 21. John Nkemngong Nkengasong,The Widow’s Might. Yaoundé: Editions CLE, 2006. Review published inThe PostNo. 0745. (Monday 6 March, 2006): 5. 22. John Ngong Kum,Walls of Agony.Yaoundé: Editions CLE, 2006. Review published inThe Post.No. 0777 (Friday June 30 2006):9. 23. John Ngong Kum,Battle for Survival. Yaoundé: Editions CLE, 2006. Review published inThe Post.0788 No. (Monday August 7, 2006):8. 24. ‘Introducing L. T. Asong: The Major Talent of Cameroon Fiction in English.’ Review published inAfrican Literature

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