Final paper regarding the following four African novels:
My Children′s Children by Sindiwe Magona,
Country of My Skull by Antjie Krog,
Aké: The Years of Childhood by Wole Soyinka,
Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter by J. Nozipo Maraire
Assignment details are as follows:
As you discuss the issues required in the paper, you are expected to compare and contrast the books you were assigned for this course and to draw conclusions. Do not just discuss each book independently. Although you may call on relevant information presented in your online discussions and written assignments, you are expected to present fresh insights based on your perspective now that you have read all the books in the course. Citations/references from the class materials and beyond must be identified. Additional research to better understand the context of the writing is encouraged.
Your final assessment should be well developed and convey your understanding of the readings and concepts. It should also adequately answer the question. Your paper should be organized, coherent, and unified; it should also be free of spelling and grammatical errors. If you need help in writing such a paper, take a look at The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison.
When quoting or paraphrasing from the text or other sources, be sure to cite the source of information properly according to MLA or APA guidelines.
Final Assessment Paper Topic
Based on your reading of the four required books assigned for the class, discuss the portrayals and explorations of the authors′ search for self-identity. In each of the books, consider the following:
• What identities are accepted by the writer?
• What identities are rejected?
• What, if any, new identities are created during the work?
Compare and contrast the effectiveness of each author′s methods/approaches for searching for his or her self-identity.
If you feel it is relevant, include any differences you found between the more traditional African/South African autobiographies in the course and Maraire′s novel of self-representation and Krog′s combination testimony/autobiography in terms of how the search for identity is represented and how effective it is to your understanding of the writer.