Nationalists and Nomads - Essays on Francophone African Literature and Culture

How does African literature written in French change the way we think about nationalism, colonialism, and postcolonialism? How does it imagine the encounter between Africans and French? And what does the study of African literature bring to the fields of literary and cultural studies? Christopher L. Miller explores these and other questions in "Nationalists and Nomads."
Miller ranges from the beginnings of francophone African literature--which he traces not to the 1930s Negritude movement but to the largely unknown, virulently radical writings of Africans in Paris in the 1920s--to the evolving relations between African literature and nationalism in the 1980s and 1990s. Throughout he aims to offset the contemporary emphasis on the postcolonial at the expense of the colonial, arguing that both are equally complex, with powerful ambiguities. Arguing against blanket advocacy of any one model (such as nationalism or hybridity) to explain these ambiguities, Miller instead seeks a form of thought that can read and recognize the realities of both identity and difference.

Summary

This text explores how African literature written in French can change the way one thinks about nationalism, colonialism and postcolonialism. Arguing against blanket advocacy of any one model, the author seeks a form of thought that can read and recognize the realities of identity and difference.

Product details

• Authors: Christopher L. Miller, Miller Christopher L.
• Publisher: University Presses
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.03.1999
• EAN: 9780226528045
• ISBN: 978-0-226-52804-5
• No. of pages: 272
• Dimensions: 16 mm x 23 mm x 2 mm
• Weight: 879 g
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > Other languages / Other literatures; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > General, dictionaries; French, Ethnic Studies, Cultural Studies, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Colonialism & Post-Colonialism, Africa, Nationalism, LITERARY CRITICISM / African, LITERARY CRITICISM / European / French, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / African, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social, LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / 20th Century, Colonialism & imperialism, Later 20th century c 1950 to c 1999, c 1938 to c 1946 (World War Two period), Colonialism and imperialism, Literary studies: from c 1900 -, c 1919 to c 1939 (Inter-war period), c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2), c 1918 to c 1939 (Inter-war period), Literary studies: c 1900 to c 2000, National liberation & independence, post-colonialism, Black & Asian Studies, c 1945 to c 2000 (Post-war period), National liberation and independence, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / African Studies