1.1 Introduction
African traditional setting in general comprises cultural activities that constitute the concept of beauty or aesthetics. These aesthetics are enriched in the belief of or custom handed down from one generation to another. The aesthetics can be found in the people’s early beliefs, religions, customs, festival, myth, legends, laws, folktales, settings, communities, metaphysics and magical ceremonies of the people. African novelists mostly source their raw materials from African traditions. This is why the transferred aesthetics were formally oral.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Reading through African novels, this research work was triggered by a lot of borrowing from oral traditional aesthetics into the written form by African novelists. The transfer of traditional aesthetics is a common feature in African novels. According to Bodunde (2001) “…. aesthetic transfer investigates the transformation of different aspects of indigenous heritage….”(p.7)
Traditional Aesthetic Transfer And The African Novelists
Many African novelists owe much to traditional aesthetics. There are many examples of African novelists that their works show evidence of traditional aesthetic. Good examples are: Wole Soyinka, Amos Tutuola, Sembene Ousmane and Ngugi waThiongo. These writers are African novelists and they are competent in using traditional aesthetics in their works. Amos Tutuola in his novel The Palm wine Drunkard makes use of lots of traditional aesthetics. Amos Tutuola writes about African cosmology, myth, legend, folktales, belief in supernatural powers and the African sociology. The novel is rich in morals, rituals, andentertainment. The novel brings out rich cultural elements Just as Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye hadbrought about the cultural elements in Things fall Apart and The African Child.
Also in Weep Not Child by Ngugi waThiongo. Ngugi waThiongo makes use of traditional aesthetics like traditional custom, traditional settings and governance, myth and legend, superstitious belief and folktales. In Weep Not Child, Kimathi is a legendrical figure and the myth about Gikuyu and Mubi. There is also the custom of circumcision. Also is the traditional setting; Ngotho is the head of his family and he built his household huts by himself. Ngotho’s polygamous family is a model, because of Ngotho’s sense of ruling. This view shows that most African novelists transfer the traditional aesthetics into their works.
The examination of the traditional aesthetics and the Africannovelists, a study of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Laye’s,The African Child, the goal of this research work. The transfer of African traditional aesthetics in the contemporary world such as myths, proverbs, festival, folktales, superstitious belief, cultural celebration are features of most African novels.
Similarities In The Settings Of Things Fall Apart And The African Child
According to David (1980) who made a comparative analysis of the setting in Things Fall Apart and The African Child. He observed some similarities in, the setting of the Igbo people of Nigeria and Malinke people of Guinea in the respective novels. They both lived in an extended family compounds, both are autonomous and self ruled. They lived in an oral society where learning was done traditional through songs, stories and proverbs. Farming was their predominant profession.
The traditional aesthetics in The African Child and Things Fall Apart are similar in the sense that we received detailed accounts of family, tribal, rituals, customs, ceremonies through the stories the characters tell.
The similarities in the setting of the two novels explain the similarities in the use of traditional aesthetics. It also explains the transfer of traditional aesthetics of African tradition and cultural heritage in relation to the two texts.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Traditional Aesthetics Transfer and the African Novelists.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to scrutinize the Traditional Aesthetics Transfer and the African Novelists using Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Laye’s The African Child as a focus point. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To examine the traditional aesthetic transfer in two of African novels. Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart and Camara Laye’s The African Child.
- To discuss the importance of the traditional aesthetics in the two texts.
- To critical analyze the various traditional aesthetics used by Camara Laye in The African Child and Chinua Achebe’s Things fall Apart.
1.4 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What is the traditional aesthetic transfer in two of African novels. Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart and Camara Laye’s The African Child?
- What is the importance of the traditional aesthetics in the two texts?
- What are the various traditional aesthetics used by Camara Laye in The African Child and Chinua Achebe’s Things fall Apart?
1.5 Justification of Study
This study is embarked upon because no study of this nature to the researcher’s knowledge has focused specifically on the transfer of traditional aesthetics, using the two texts: Things Fall Apart and The African Child.
The works that the researcher came across in the information collection include, Kilam (1969) which focuses on the use of language and literary devices inThings Fall Apart. Another is Idowu (2009) which deals with the use of mythology and superstitious belief in Laye’s The African Child.
The researcher also came across Ashaolu (1989) who focuses on the image created by Chinua Achebe in Things Fall Apart. The difference of this work from Kilam (1969), Ashaolu (1989) and Idowu (2009) is that the researcher intends to focus on the traditional transfer in Things Fall Apart and The African Child.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.6 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the analysis of the Traditional Aesthetics Transfer and the African Novelists using Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Laye’s The African Child as a case study. The researcher shall specifically bring out the traditional aesthetics that are similar to the two novels and give their importance.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection.
1.8 Methodology
The theoretical approach of this research study is functionalism. The reason is that the approach addresses the society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements namely norms, customs, traditions and institution.
The chosen texts shall be employed as functional novels as they also deals with the socio-cultural patterns of their respective settings. Also, the belief in the uni-linear and parallel stages of social evolution which all societies must pass through.
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