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A Utopian Commentary on the Plight of Nigeria: Ken Saro-Wiwa’s “Africa Kills Her Sun”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2017

Angela L. Rodrigues
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Abstract:

This article investigates the presence of utopian elements in Ken Saro-Wiwa’s short story “Africa Kills Her Sun,” and the extent to which they dismantle an otherwise bleak commentary on the protagonist’s reality. Ernst Bloch’s notions of “pre-illumination,” “daydreaming,” and “not-yet” are employed as analytical tools in order to unravel the narrative’s utopian content.

Résumé:

Cet article étudie la présence d’éléments utopiques dans le récit de Ken Saro-Wiwa “L’Afrique tue son soleil” et la mesure à laquelle ils démantèlent un commentaire autrement sombre sur la réalité du protagoniste. Les concepts de Ernst Bloch de “pré illumination,” “rêverie,” et “pas-encore” sont utilisés comme outils d’analyse afin de révéler la force utopique de la narration.

Keywords

UtopiadeathKen Saro-WiwaErnst BlochNigeria
Type
ARTICLES
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 60 , Issue 3 , December 2017 , pp. 127 - 139
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2017 

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