A Look Back at the Linguistic Re-thinking of African Literature: A Stylistic Review

Today, English is the medium of official-cum wider communication in Anglophone Africa. The question of its use in African literature has a checkered history, and it has been heavily argued. In particular, the question revolves around the wisdom of using European languages-English, French and Portuguese as medium of communication in African writing. The arguments are numerous, and writers and critics have taken different positions on many of the issues raised. In this paper, I will summarize the major arguments and views, and highlight some of the basic linguistic points missed as to the nature of language in the debate. I will also articulate the ways in which linguistics can help us gain insights into the workings of literature as a profitable partner with the traditional literary criticism to douse the antagonism between English and African languages, and allay the “fear” of using foreign tongue to produce African literature. As a major component of my review, I will argue the matrix of linguistic options open to African writers within the choices being worked out in the actual creative practice in English expression. This position is from the perspective of the unfolding stylo-linguistic tapestry of Anglophone writing in English, English, a European language, being the most prominent literary language among African languages.