Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o

Addisu Hailu Abebe; Melakneh Mengistu

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12

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Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o

Addisu Hailu Abebe, Melakneh Mengistu

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 10, Issue 2)

Received: 14 January 2022 Accepted: 7 February 2022 Published: 3 March 2022

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Abstract

Postcolonial African fiction has been successful in resisting colonialism and its dehumanizing ideas, which have caused unfathomable physical pain and psychological crises for Africans. While fighting back against the injustices, African writers played a catalyzing role in dismantling the system by creating intertextual connections with different texts from near and beyond. The main objective of this paper is to determine the use of intertexts in selected novels by Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong'o. The article examines three novels from different periods: Weep Not, Child (1964), Petals of Blood (1977), and Wizard of the Crow (2006). The novels are selected purposively, considering the significant contexts of each of the texts. The contexts include the anti-colonial struggles of the early 1960s, the post-independence disillusionment period, and contemporary neocolonialism. The study relies on the notions of intertextuality propagated by Mikhail Bakhtin and Julia Kristeva, for these scholars focus on the connection between text and context. After a close reading of the novels, the study identifies intertexts such as quotations, references, citations, and allusions inserted either to reinforce or criticize the meaning under different local and global contexts. Then, through the textual analysis method, the article determines the significant impact of the inserted texts in the novels. Finally, the analysis demonstrates that the intertexts are used aesthetically to criticize monologic narratives, resist post-independence corrupt political systems, and confront the danger of neocolonialism. Furthermore, the article suggests that studies of the intertextuality of novels across periods depict the predicaments of different times and the role of the elites in raising the consciousness of the masses to respond to these predicaments accordingly.

Published in	International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 10, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12
Page(s)	67-76
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Intertextuality, Intertexts, Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o, Mikhail Bakhtin, Julia Kristeva

References

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[3]	Allen, G. (2011). Intertextuality. (2^nd ed). London: Routledge.
[4]	Bakhtin, M. (1984) Rabelais and His World. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
[5]	Bakhtin, M. (1986). Speech Genres and Other Late Essays. Austin: University of Texas Press.
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[10]	Iyasere, S. (1975). Oral Tradition in the Criticism of African Literature. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 13 (1), 107 – 119. https://www.jstor.org/stable/159699.
[11]	Jones, A. R. (1984). “Julia Kristeva on Femininity: The Limits of a Semiotic Politics.” Feminist Review, 18, 56-73. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1394859.
[12]	Kẹhinde, A. (2003). Intertextuality and the Contemporary African Novel. Nordic Journal of African Studies, 12 (3): 372-386. http://www.njas.helsinki.fi/pdf-files/vol12num3/kehinde3.pdf.
[13]	Kristeva, J. (1980). Desire in Language; A semiotic Approach to Literature and Art. London: Blackwell.
[14]	Kristeva, J. (1984). Revolution in Poetic Language. Margaret Waller (Trans). New York: Columbia University Press.
[15]	Leitch, V. (1983). Deconstruction Criticism: An Advanced Introduction. London: Hutchinson.
[16]	Lunacharsky, A. (1973). On Literature and Art. Moscow: Progress Publishers.
[17]	Marshall, B. (1992). Teaching the Postmodern: Fiction and Theory. New York: Routledge.
[18]	McAfee, N. (ed). (2004). Julia Kristeva. New York: Routledge.
[19]	Moi, T. (ed). (1986). The Kristeva Reader. New York: Columbia University Press.
[20]	Moris, P. (ed). (1994). The Bakhtin Reader. Selected Writings of Bakhtin, Medvedeve and Voloshinov. London: Arnold.
[21]	Nicholls, B. (2010). Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Gender, and the Ethics of Postcolonial Reading. England: ASHGATE.
[22]	Ogede, O. (2011). Intertextuality in Contemporary Literature, Looking Inward. London: Lexington Books.
[23]	Plett, H. F. (ed) (1991). Intertextuality. Berlin: Walter De Gruyter.
[24]	Wa Thiong’o, N. (1964). Weep Not, Child. London: HEINEMANN.
[25]	Wa Thiong’o, N. (1977). Petals of Blood. London: HEINEMANN.
[26]	Wa Thiong’o N. (2006). Wizard of the Crow. Harvill Secker.

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APA Style

Addisu Hailu Abebe, Melakneh Mengistu. (2022). Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 10(2), 67-76. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12

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Addisu Hailu Abebe; Melakneh Mengistu. Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2022, 10(2), 67-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12

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Addisu Hailu Abebe, Melakneh Mengistu. Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o. Int J Lang Linguist. 2022;10(2):67-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12,
  author = {Addisu Hailu Abebe and Melakneh Mengistu},
  title = {Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {10},
  number = {2},
  pages = {67-76},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20221002.12},
  abstract = {Postcolonial African fiction has been successful in resisting colonialism and its dehumanizing ideas, which have caused unfathomable physical pain and psychological crises for Africans. While fighting back against the injustices, African writers played a catalyzing role in dismantling the system by creating intertextual connections with different texts from near and beyond. The main objective of this paper is to determine the use of intertexts in selected novels by Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong'o. The article examines three novels from different periods: Weep Not, Child (1964), Petals of Blood (1977), and Wizard of the Crow (2006). The novels are selected purposively, considering the significant contexts of each of the texts. The contexts include the anti-colonial struggles of the early 1960s, the post-independence disillusionment period, and contemporary neocolonialism. The study relies on the notions of intertextuality propagated by Mikhail Bakhtin and Julia Kristeva, for these scholars focus on the connection between text and context. After a close reading of the novels, the study identifies intertexts such as quotations, references, citations, and allusions inserted either to reinforce or criticize the meaning under different local and global contexts. Then, through the textual analysis method, the article determines the significant impact of the inserted texts in the novels. Finally, the analysis demonstrates that the intertexts are used aesthetically to criticize monologic narratives, resist post-independence corrupt political systems, and confront the danger of neocolonialism. Furthermore, the article suggests that studies of the intertextuality of novels across periods depict the predicaments of different times and the role of the elites in raising the consciousness of the masses to respond to these predicaments accordingly.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o
AU  - Addisu Hailu Abebe
AU  - Melakneh Mengistu
Y1  - 2022/03/03
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 67
EP  - 76
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12
AB  - Postcolonial African fiction has been successful in resisting colonialism and its dehumanizing ideas, which have caused unfathomable physical pain and psychological crises for Africans. While fighting back against the injustices, African writers played a catalyzing role in dismantling the system by creating intertextual connections with different texts from near and beyond. The main objective of this paper is to determine the use of intertexts in selected novels by Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong'o. The article examines three novels from different periods: Weep Not, Child (1964), Petals of Blood (1977), and Wizard of the Crow (2006). The novels are selected purposively, considering the significant contexts of each of the texts. The contexts include the anti-colonial struggles of the early 1960s, the post-independence disillusionment period, and contemporary neocolonialism. The study relies on the notions of intertextuality propagated by Mikhail Bakhtin and Julia Kristeva, for these scholars focus on the connection between text and context. After a close reading of the novels, the study identifies intertexts such as quotations, references, citations, and allusions inserted either to reinforce or criticize the meaning under different local and global contexts. Then, through the textual analysis method, the article determines the significant impact of the inserted texts in the novels. Finally, the analysis demonstrates that the intertexts are used aesthetically to criticize monologic narratives, resist post-independence corrupt political systems, and confront the danger of neocolonialism. Furthermore, the article suggests that studies of the intertextuality of novels across periods depict the predicaments of different times and the role of the elites in raising the consciousness of the masses to respond to these predicaments accordingly.
VL  - 10
IS  - 2
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Author Information

Addisu Hailu Abebe

Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Melakneh Mengistu

Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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APA Style

Addisu Hailu Abebe, Melakneh Mengistu. (2022). Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 10(2), 67-76. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12

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ACS Style

Addisu Hailu Abebe; Melakneh Mengistu. Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2022, 10(2), 67-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12

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AMA Style

Addisu Hailu Abebe, Melakneh Mengistu. Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o. Int J Lang Linguist. 2022;10(2):67-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12,
  author = {Addisu Hailu Abebe and Melakneh Mengistu},
  title = {Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {10},
  number = {2},
  pages = {67-76},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20221002.12},
  abstract = {Postcolonial African fiction has been successful in resisting colonialism and its dehumanizing ideas, which have caused unfathomable physical pain and psychological crises for Africans. While fighting back against the injustices, African writers played a catalyzing role in dismantling the system by creating intertextual connections with different texts from near and beyond. The main objective of this paper is to determine the use of intertexts in selected novels by Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong'o. The article examines three novels from different periods: Weep Not, Child (1964), Petals of Blood (1977), and Wizard of the Crow (2006). The novels are selected purposively, considering the significant contexts of each of the texts. The contexts include the anti-colonial struggles of the early 1960s, the post-independence disillusionment period, and contemporary neocolonialism. The study relies on the notions of intertextuality propagated by Mikhail Bakhtin and Julia Kristeva, for these scholars focus on the connection between text and context. After a close reading of the novels, the study identifies intertexts such as quotations, references, citations, and allusions inserted either to reinforce or criticize the meaning under different local and global contexts. Then, through the textual analysis method, the article determines the significant impact of the inserted texts in the novels. Finally, the analysis demonstrates that the intertexts are used aesthetically to criticize monologic narratives, resist post-independence corrupt political systems, and confront the danger of neocolonialism. Furthermore, the article suggests that studies of the intertextuality of novels across periods depict the predicaments of different times and the role of the elites in raising the consciousness of the masses to respond to these predicaments accordingly.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o
AU  - Addisu Hailu Abebe
AU  - Melakneh Mengistu
Y1  - 2022/03/03
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 67
EP  - 76
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20221002.12
AB  - Postcolonial African fiction has been successful in resisting colonialism and its dehumanizing ideas, which have caused unfathomable physical pain and psychological crises for Africans. While fighting back against the injustices, African writers played a catalyzing role in dismantling the system by creating intertextual connections with different texts from near and beyond. The main objective of this paper is to determine the use of intertexts in selected novels by Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong'o. The article examines three novels from different periods: Weep Not, Child (1964), Petals of Blood (1977), and Wizard of the Crow (2006). The novels are selected purposively, considering the significant contexts of each of the texts. The contexts include the anti-colonial struggles of the early 1960s, the post-independence disillusionment period, and contemporary neocolonialism. The study relies on the notions of intertextuality propagated by Mikhail Bakhtin and Julia Kristeva, for these scholars focus on the connection between text and context. After a close reading of the novels, the study identifies intertexts such as quotations, references, citations, and allusions inserted either to reinforce or criticize the meaning under different local and global contexts. Then, through the textual analysis method, the article determines the significant impact of the inserted texts in the novels. Finally, the analysis demonstrates that the intertexts are used aesthetically to criticize monologic narratives, resist post-independence corrupt political systems, and confront the danger of neocolonialism. Furthermore, the article suggests that studies of the intertextuality of novels across periods depict the predicaments of different times and the role of the elites in raising the consciousness of the masses to respond to these predicaments accordingly.
VL  - 10
IS  - 2
ER  -

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