The ‘Comparative African Literatures’ Project: Challenges and Opportunties

Abstract

This scholarly inquiry critically scrutinizes the “Comparative African Literatures” paradigm, investigating its capabilities and constraints in transforming the understanding of African literatures through a comparative perspective. The research identifies the current stagnation of the paradigm, attributing it to an absence of appropriate comparative instruments and inadequate scholarly engagement. The study traces the genesis of the paradigm at the juncture of postcolonial theory and comparative literature, employing a rigorous critical methodology. It includes a comprehensive review of pertinent literature and suggests novel research trajectories. The study underscores the indispensability of the paradigm and advocates for its judicious progression to sidestep the pitfalls that other paradigms have encountered in their attempts to encapsulate the authentic Africanness of African literature. Aspiring to contribute to the evolution of the paradigm, the research spotlights its potential ripple effect on the expansive terrain of African literary studies.

Keywords

• comparative African literatures
• literary africanness
• postcolonial theory & criticism
• comparative literature
• African literary studies
• 比较非洲文学