Social Realism, Didacticism and Aesthetics in African Children’s Prose Fiction

The definition of children’s literature appropriate for this study is the one that sees it as any oral or written literary composition designed to appeal to children between the ages of day one to seventeen years. It must be meaningful to the child and meet his/her aesthetic and intellectual needs at every stage of his or her development. Hence, children’s fiction is that fictional work written for children and enjoyed by children. It was formerly an uncharted universe among African writers, critics and publishers. However, in recent times, there has been a growing scholarly interest in African children’s literature; one can easily detect an autochthonous tradition developing in the most popular literary genres for children, especially in the post-independence period. These genres are the retelling of folktales and narrative fiction. In each region of Africa, there has been a remarkable effort to record and publish collections of prose narratives, folktales, songs, myths, legends, children’s rhymes, proverbs and riddles. It is against this background that this essay discusses the relevance and significance of African children’s literature by examining its dominant subject matters, thematic preoccupations, utilitarian functions and aesthetic features. The method of research applied in the study is qualitative in that it focuses on textual analyses. It also inheres on a purposive selection of relevant children’s prose narratives across the continent. The findings of the study reveal that most pioneer African children’s prose narratives were originally oral tales which have been transcribed into writings with the aim of teaching morals and preserving traditions. However, contemporary African children’s prose narratives have shifted from these preoccupations to accommodate new emerging socio-political and economic issues, including sexuality, global diseases, globalisation, terrorism and the like. Aesthetically, African prose fiction prioritises children as main characters; the style is light, vivid and interesting. It is aesthetically worded and illustrated. It is concluded that contemporary African children’s prose narrative is a dynamic genre which has its unique thematic and stylistic preoccupations. It serves a major role in enculturating and acculturating African children to the African values, traditions, norms, mores and many others. African children should be exposed to reading about their cultures and norms at an early age with a view to intimating them with the authentic stories of their continent.

Keywords: Social Realism Didacticism Aesthetics African Children's Prose

Author

• Ayobami Kehinde, PhD
  Department of English, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
  ma.kehinde@mail.ui.edu.ng
  234-8035024246