The text that will be analysed is an article titled 'The Language of African Literature,' focusing on the life of an African village child, who treasured the value of his language, which was only destroyed by the imperialism of the English language.
The article, through various indications, suggests the intended audience, which in this case, is most likely those who have control over the education in his country. He identifies all of the issues that imperialism has brought upon his future, and the significant negativity of this is emphasized by the mentioning of the value that the langue possesses. This is the first of the evidence. "English became the language of my formal education. In Kenya, English became more than a language: it was the language, and all others had to bow before it in deference." He indirectly calls for the helping of his generation, and for all those who will lose their mothertongue to the imperialism of the English language. The purpose of the article is to educate the audience of the problems that the English language has caused to the cultural and educational aspects of peoples lives. It also is an indirect call for help.
Within in the text, the author plays on two different views of language. On one side, you have the mother tongue of the community. He identifies all the values that lie deep within the language itself, and how it can be used as a tool to unite individuals as one people. "It had a suggestive power well beyond the immediate and lexical meaning. Our appreciation of the suggestive magical power of language was reinforced by the games we played with words through riddles, proverbs, transpositions of syllables, or through nonsensical but musically arranged words." The author ultimately views langue gas a powerful and valuable aspect of life. On the other hand, there is the English language. Based on the context of this text, the author and the community alike view language as well as a powerful tool to colonize and create a hopeless future for those who don't speak it. This was the case for Ngũgĩ.
A few aspects of the text stand out in terms of its contribution to setting the mood. We can firstly denote from the text that there is a sense of helplessness. Through the way that the author brings across the information, he leaves the reader with a negative feeling. The last sentence of the text depicts this. "English became the language of my formal education. In Kenya, English became more than a language: it was the language, and all others had to bow before it in deference." The audience feels that there is no hope for the language, and therefore no bright future for those who speak it. "All others had to bow before it." This line specifically extracts from the reader some extent of emotion.
The structure of the article itself allows for more pathos within the reader. The author first mentions the connection that the language brought amongst the people of their culture. Afterwards, the author highlights the issues, which creates a more depressing mental picture of the situation.
In conclusion, the main purpose of the text is to educate those who have control about the issues of language imperialism and the negative effects it has on minorities. All the aspects of the article wish to achieve this purpose, whether through theme, stylistic features, tone and mood, or structure.
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