[Name of the Writer]

[Name of Instructor]

[Oral Tradition]

[Date]

Oral Tradition in African Literature

Introduction

It is very important to study the literature of any nation in order to have deeper and actual insight on the culture and traditions of that nation. The researcher in this paper has studied various researches conducted by scholars in the past on African Literature. These included not only the papers, but also the novels were reviewed on the topic of research to gain an insight on the topic. African literature can be of many types varying from nation to nation in Africa, where there are many different languages being used in different areas. Oral tradition being one of the most common type of all the African literature. This is the form of literature in which stories are transferred in verbal form from one generation to another. That is, it is in a society in which cultural traditions are not written in any language, and each person in that society contributed towards making sure it lasts forever and is passed on to every generation (Devatine, pp.2).

The aim of this research paper is to give people a clear picture on the oral traditions in African literature. The researcher has studied various researches and papers written previously, in order to get a detailed insight of the topic at hand. Therefore, this paper gives the reader an introduction on the African literature, along with the overview of oral traditions in literature, with its relevance to specifically African literature. Moreover, within the discussion part of this research paper, the researcher attempts to provide a detailed insight on the subject matter in hand, along with highlighting the importance of African Literature in African Culture. Finally, the paper is concluded with the Epic of Son-Jara: A West African Tradition.Discussion

There are four categories of African literature, the first being the African literature which has been written by the westerners in their own language. This form of literature is well known to all as it depicts the picture of Africa and its culture as perceived by the people in the west. Negativity is often portrayed of Africa and its people in this form of literature. As the authors of this form of literature are not Africans, but rather people from the west who have just visited Africa and had written only about things which have gotten their attention rather than going deeper into the roots and culture of Africa and its people in order to give an actual reality of Africa.

The second form of African literature is the one written by the people of Africa themselves but not in their own language instead in the languages of the western world. These writers who are African mostly have a background of basic education from Africa and further higher education from the west. The rise of this form of African literature was in times of the independence wars of Africa. During this time, the people of Africa realized that they should no longer be ruled by the western world. It was this time that much ...