“Minor Literature” And The Pursuit Of “African Dream” In Arrow Of God

Chinua Achebe(1930-2013)is one of Nigeria’s most successful writers and even Africa.He is known as “the Father of African Literature”.His Nigerian Tetralogy has a close connection with the social reality of Africa,which shows his high sense of social responsibility and the pursuit of African dream.The appearance of Arrow of God marks the ideological turn of Achebe’s literary creation and thus it plays a vital role in studying his pursuit of African dream.From Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari’s point of view,the “major literature” and“minor literature” corresponds to two different kinds of politics.The former is to form and defend standards that serve as norms and bases for judgments.However,the latter is trying to deviate from the standard and the norm to deconstruct power.The positive function of “minor literature” lies in deconstructing the rigid binary opposition in the major nation,thus disintegrating the oppressive authority to bring out multiplicity and possibility.It provides a solution for contradictions and antagonisms.In addition,the theory aims to construct a minor language within a major language,so as to deconstruct its power and ideology.The theory of minor literature has exerted a significant influence on African writers’ writing.Through the application of his theory,the practical significance of his philosophy to post-colonial African literature is revealed.Based on the theory of minor literature,this thesis focuses on Achebe’s Arrow of God.It reveals the political implications of the novel in the writing of native African experiences and the creative use of English,which constructs inclusive and dynamic African literature.Moreover,he uses literature to concern history and reality,so as to explore the fate of national development.There are five chapters in this thesis.Chapter One briefly introduces Achebe’s life experiences,Arrow of God,literature review at home and abroad,and research significance.Moreover,it sorts out the viewpoints of the theory of minor literature and analyzes the ways of Achebe’s writing from the perspective of minor literature.Chapter Two mainly tells how Achebe refutes the inherent ethnocentrism and cultural hegemony in western classical literature and tells the African experience from within to achieve his purpose of forming a clear collective identity and building national confidence.Chapter Three points out that Achebe deconstructs the distinct ideology in English to make it carry the African experience by appropriation to resist the imperial discourse.The chapter also responds to native writers who accuse Achebe of writing in English.Chapter Four presents that Achebe’s creative writings are closely related to his political engagement in different historical times,thus being inherently political.Moreover,he uses literature to represent history and reality to reflect on the nation’s future direction.Chapter Five points out Achebe’s pursuit of African dream through the criticism of Euro-centrism and politicized use of language.