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V O L U M E 2 African Literature and Its Times World Literature and Its Times Profiles of Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events That Influenced Them Joyce Moss • Lorraine Valestuk GALE GROUP Detroit Hew York San Francisco London Boston Woodbridge, CT World Literature and Its Times V O L U M E 2 African Literature and Its Times World Literature and Its Times Profiles of Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events That Influenced Them Joyce Moss • Lorraine Valestuk GALE GROUP Detroit Hew York San Francisco London Boston Woodbridge, CT World Literature and Its Times Profiles of Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events That Influenced Them V O L U M E Z. African Literature and Its Times JOYCE MOSS • LORRAINE VALESTUK STAFF Lawrence J. Trudeau, Production Editor Maria Franklin, Permissions Manager Edna Hedblad, Permissions Specialist Dorothy Maki, Manufacturing Manager Wendy Blurton, Senior Buyer Mary Beth Trim per, Manager, Composition and Electronic Prepress Evi Seoud, Assistant Manager, Composition Purchasing and Electronic Prepress Cynthia Baldwin, Art Director Pamela Gal breath, Cover and Page Designer Michael Logusz, Graphic Artist Randy Bassett, Image Database Supervisor Robert Duncan, Imaging Specialist Pamela A. Reed, Imaging Coordinator Dean Dauphinais, Senior Image Editor Robyn V. Young, Senior Image Editor Kelly A. Quin, Image Editor [ooFMThe paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. The authors and editors of this work have added value to the underlying factual material herein through one or more of the following: unique and original selection, coordination, expression, arrangement, and classification of the information. All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended. Copyright © 2000 Joyce Moss All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. ISBN 0-7876-3727-0 Printed in the United States of America 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Moss, Joyce, 1951African literature and its times: profiles of notable literary works and the historical events that influenced them / Joyce Moss, Lorraine Valestuk. p. cm. — (World literature and its times; v.2) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7876-3727-0 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. African literature—History and criticism. 2. Literature and history— Africa. 3. Africa—History—Miscellanea. I. Valestuk, Lorraine, 1963- II. Title. III. Series. PL8010 .M65 2000 809'.896—dc21 00-024488 CIP Rev. Contents Preface vii Acknowledgments xi Introduction xiii Chronology of Relevant Events xvii Contents by Title Contents by Author Photo Credits Entries Index xxxix xli xliii 1 527 v General Preface T he world at the turn of the twenty-first century is a shrinking sphere. Innovative modes of transmission make communication from one continent to another almost instantaneous, encouraging the development of an increasingly global society, heightening the urgency of the need for mutual understanding. At the foundation of World Literature and Its Times is the belief that within a people's literature are keys to their perspectives, their emotions, and the formative events that have brought them to the present point. As manifested in their literary works, societies experience phenomena that are in som