CONTENDING INTERTEXTUAL TROPES IN AFRICAN LITERATURE: READING FROM TWO KENYAN TEXTS

Abstract

African writers have shown that literature can do more than just narration. They use several elements of narration that indicate their cultural background, ideological inclination, and peculiar 6 experiences. More often than not, intertextual tropes are downplayed or lightly considered as mere literary elements rather than the driving forces to every work of literature ever written by any writer, be it African or Westerner. This study examined how two Kenyan texts engage in a dialogue on certain post-colonial conceptions. Its specific objectives were to make discernible how African writers inter-textualise their experiences; identify the resonance of (post) colonial tropes in African literature; and discuss the implications of these resonances to the examination of intertextual tropes in the selected texts. The two purposivey selected texts from African literary canon are The Trial of DedanKimathi co-authored MicereGithaeMugo and Matigari by NgugiwaThiong’o alone. Both written by Kenyan authors.The theoretical framework was hinged on the tenets of Post-colonialism alongside references to Julia Kristeva’s notions on intertextuality as enunciated in her works.