The avenging spirit: mapping an ambivalent spirituality in Zimbabwean literature in English
Spirit possession is a central trope in Zimbabwean literature, not only in English, but also in indigenous languages. This article looks at the avenging spirit as it is manifested in Zimbabwean literature in English from the colonial days to the present, and uses postcolonial theory and Lewis’s soci...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
2016
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00020181003647264 |
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| author | Mutekwa, Anias |
| author_facet | Mutekwa, Anias |
| author_sort | Mutekwa, Anias |
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| description | Spirit possession is a central trope in Zimbabwean literature, not only in English, but also in indigenous languages. This article looks at the avenging spirit as it is manifested in Zimbabwean literature in English from the colonial days to the present, and uses postcolonial theory and Lewis’s social deprivation theory in the exploration. It shows how this trope, under colonialism, is used to represent contesting power discourses that seek a stranglehold on the people. It goes on to show how the same trope is used to recover suppressed discourses, voices and narratives, and also becomes a metaphor for fissures in Zimbabwean society in the aftermath of the war of liberation and the unfulfilled promises of the same. Finally, it explores the avenging spirit as a traditional belief system that is central in the psyche of many of the Zimbabwean people and which society has to contend with in the contemporary set up. The article goes on to argue
however, that belief in the ngozi represents traditional knowledge systems that can be used to deal with African problems. |
| format | Article |
| id | ir-11408-861 |
| institution | My University |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis (Routledge) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ir-11408-8612022-06-27T13:49:06Z The avenging spirit: mapping an ambivalent spirituality in Zimbabwean literature in English Mutekwa, Anias Zimbabwe, Bantu cosmology, spirit possession, colonialism, traditional belief system Spirit possession is a central trope in Zimbabwean literature, not only in English, but also in indigenous languages. This article looks at the avenging spirit as it is manifested in Zimbabwean literature in English from the colonial days to the present, and uses postcolonial theory and Lewis’s social deprivation theory in the exploration. It shows how this trope, under colonialism, is used to represent contesting power discourses that seek a stranglehold on the people. It goes on to show how the same trope is used to recover suppressed discourses, voices and narratives, and also becomes a metaphor for fissures in Zimbabwean society in the aftermath of the war of liberation and the unfulfilled promises of the same. Finally, it explores the avenging spirit as a traditional belief system that is central in the psyche of many of the Zimbabwean people and which society has to contend with in the contemporary set up. The article goes on to argue however, that belief in the ngozi represents traditional knowledge systems that can be used to deal with African problems. 2016-04-16T12:38:41Z 2016-04-16T12:38:41Z 2010 Article 0002-0184 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00020181003647264 en African Studies;Vol. 69, Issue1,p. 161-176 none Taylor & Francis (Routledge) |
| spellingShingle | Zimbabwe, Bantu cosmology, spirit possession, colonialism, traditional belief system Mutekwa, Anias The avenging spirit: mapping an ambivalent spirituality in Zimbabwean literature in English |
| title | The avenging spirit: mapping an ambivalent spirituality in Zimbabwean literature in English |
| title_full | The avenging spirit: mapping an ambivalent spirituality in Zimbabwean literature in English |
| title_fullStr | The avenging spirit: mapping an ambivalent spirituality in Zimbabwean literature in English |
| title_full_unstemmed | The avenging spirit: mapping an ambivalent spirituality in Zimbabwean literature in English |
| title_short | The avenging spirit: mapping an ambivalent spirituality in Zimbabwean literature in English |
| title_sort | avenging spirit: mapping an ambivalent spirituality in zimbabwean literature in english |
| topic | Zimbabwe, Bantu cosmology, spirit possession, colonialism, traditional belief system |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00020181003647264 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mutekwaanias theavengingspiritmappinganambivalentspiritualityinzimbabweanliteratureinenglish AT mutekwaanias avengingspiritmappinganambivalentspiritualityinzimbabweanliteratureinenglish |