Verisimilitude in fiction: Exploring the didactic theory of literature in light of heroism reflected in Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s A Grain of Wheat
Abstract
Literary critics often time rhapsodize heroes over their performance to depict verisimilitude about human exploits, nature and nurture, life and death, strong love and sacrifice for others to survive; as some of the central elements that art- fiction is concerned with. In this literary study, analysis is carried out in light of
Ngugi’s A Grain of Wheat. Particular interest is directed to heroism as a recurrent theme in most of the
colonial African Literature. The study seeks to demonstrate the power of fiction to express verisimilitude. The author explores the didactic theory of literature which posits that a literary work is a source of
knowledge, insights and wisdom and probably prophecy. When one accepts the call - by himself or by other forces - to die for others, to sacrifice for others’ survival, that is heroism and unequalled human
value.
References
Bazimaziki, G. (2021). Exploring the function of literature in the light of Mandela’s Long Walk to freedom, International Journal of English, Literature and Social Sciences, 6(1),185-189.
Fadhel Qahtan , F. Aldhahyani. (2015). Modes of Protest in Ngugi’s A Grain of Wheat. New Voices, Multilingual International Refereed Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 3(1), 11-17.
Franco, Z. E., Scott, T. A, Kinsella, E.L., Kohen, A., Langdon, M. & Zimbardo P. G. (2016). Heroism Research: A Review of Theories, Methods, Challenges and Trends. Faculty Publications: Political Science.87. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/poliscifacpub/87
Franco, Z., E.., Blau,K. & Zimbardo, P.,G.(2011). Heroism: A conceptual Analysis and Differentiation Between Heroic Action and Altruism. Review of General Psycholog, 15(2), 99-113.
Haessly, J. (2011). A Hero for the Twenty-First Century. Peace, Literature and Art, Vol.1, 216-240.
Harrow, K. (1985). “ Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s ‘A Grain of Wheat’: Season of Irony” . Research in African Literatures, 16(2), 243–263.Retrieved from www.jstor/org/stable/3819414.
Lèfara S. (2017). “Reading acculturation in Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s A Grain of Wheat.”, International Journal of Development Research, 7, (08), 14369-14375.
Sawira, Suhadi, J. & Manugeren, M.(2017). Heroism in Lin Carter’s NovelThe Quest of Kadji. Language Literacy: Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Language Teaching, 1(10, 119-140.
The Gideons International(2008.) The Holy Bible. The Gideons International.
Wa Thiong’o, Ngugi (1967). A Grain of Wheat. London: Heinemann.
Copyright (c) 2021 IJO- International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Author(s) and co-author(s) jointly and severally represent and warrant that the Article is original with the author(s) and does not infringe any copyright or violate any other right of any third parties and that the Article has not been published elsewhere. Author(s) agree to the terms that the IJO Journal will have the full right to remove the published article on any misconduct found in the published article.
