Abstract
The issue of art in the service of politics is a notoriously complex one. Although many are content with the concept of imaginative writing being harnessed to a political enterprise, not all are happy with the end result. In a review of Ngugi wa Thiong'o's Petals of Blood, for example, Homi Bhabha (1977) suggests that although the narrator avoids a form of 'romantic nationalism' that 'can lead to an idealized quest for identity, for a mystical pristine Otherness', the text's 'rambling narrative and wide cast of characters' are less than impressive.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 13-31 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Alternation |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - Jan 1998 |
Keywords
- 'Matigari'
- Ngugi wa Thiong'o
- post-colonial literature
- romantic nationalism