Africa has long captured the Western imagination as a land
shrouded in danger and mystery. British and American novels written
before World War II established popular conventions and stereotypes
about Africa that have been increasingly challenged by contemporary
American novels set in Africa. Kuhne's book overviews the ways in
which Africa has been employed as a powerful setting for American
novels written since World War II. Kuhne argues that contemporary
American novels with African settings are largely didactic, that
these novels convey specific lessons about Africa and Africans, and
that they compare African and American cultures in order to
evaluate and critique the two worlds.
The book begins by summarizing the conventions and themes
Westerners have traditionally associated with Africa and by
detailing how British and American authors from Aphra Behn to
Ernest Hemingway depicted Africa before World War II. It then looks
at contemporary American novels set in invented African nations,
novels that typically suggest that the problems that trouble actual
African nations are the result of colonialism. A separate chapter
then examines the African novels of African Americans, which
generally aim to correct the historical record, refute stereotypes,
and detail the horrors of the slave trade. The volume also looks at
genre fiction set in Africa, while a final chapter discusses
postcolonial novels with African settings.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!