The politicization of the English language in contemporary Nigerian literature.
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2015-06-15
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en
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Abstract
Since Nigeria's independence in 1960 and before, contemporary Nigerian literature ignites politically volatile debate. The moment a Nigerian writer chooses a language to write in, their choice is political. As Anglophone Nigerian writers infuse their English with indigenous aspects of Nigerian languages such as Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo, they are able to create – as Chinua Achebe calls it – "a way of expressing yourself which is at once universal and able to carry your peculiar experience.” They mold the English language to fit their purpose, often creating unique variations of the language. This politicization of the English language allows Anglophone Nigerian writers Ken Saro-Wiwa and Amos Tutuola in their works Sozaboy (1985) and The Palm-Wine Drinkard (1952) to move away from the (post)colonial perspective by using forms of transculturation and cultural translation to create a renewed cultural identity and n! ational s elf-representation.
Key words: Politicization, Transculturation, Cutural Translation, Transnationality Ken Saro-Wiwa, Amos Tutuola, Chinua Achebe, Nigeria , English, Pidgin.
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