Theorizing Young Adult Literature from African Literary Heritage in the 21ST Century: A Reading of four Literary Texts from Northern and Southern Nigeria

Haladu Umar, Hussaina Musa Gar

Abstract


This paper explores the impact of Young Adult literature through the prism of African cultural heritage. The motivation of the study was informed by the fact African literary texts are not appropriated or used in teaching the course in Nigeria. Instead texts authored by the western literary writers are blindly used often when there are number of African literary texts that appeal to the yearnings and aspirations of African youths. The texts can also be used to promote and proffer solutions to social problems committed by our young adults in that African literary taste and demand is drastically different from other geographical region in varying degree. Against this backdrop, this study analyses four literary texts written by Nigerian writers; that is, two novels each from northern and southern parts of Nigeria with a view to demonstrating the true literary identity of Africa literary tapestry. Methodologically, a close reading of the four novels was done, detailing the thematic thrust of each text in tandem with its viability and relevance in line with African literary peculiarity and necessity. The findings of the study reveals that the four literary texts analyzed are for their suitability in teaching young adult literature given that they feature African life experiences and its socio-political upheavals. It also reveals there is need to sensitize the African teachers taking young adult to realize that it is an extension of children literature in that they need to select from burgeoning literary texts at their disposal to teach it in order to promote their literary values. 


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