The Growth of East African Literature in English

Abstract

Starting with a broad attempt to define the general concerns in African literature, and the cultural esthetics which form the basis of this writing, this thesis tries to place the emerging East African literature in English into the stream of African literature, and of literature at large. It focusses particularly on the works of Okot p'Bitek and James Ngugi and treats broadly the themes emerging from the East African environment and the artistic challenges which these themes pose to the writer. It concludes that meaning and strength in this emerging literature will stem from the writers' awareness and sensibility to their environment and a willingness to make an honest and artistic appraisal of this situation.