The structure of the African novel is seen as consisting of two different frameworks, the external, or international, and the indigenous "mode of discourse and artistic expression”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Therefore, the typical African novel contains elements in its narrative that derive from European colonizers as well as from the customs of other African writers. The African element may also contain some Arabic influences due to the proximity of the Arabic speaking countries. Such characteristics can be found regarding the way the narrative is told to the reader in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and Ngugi wa Thiong'o's Petals of Blood. The main objective of this essay will be to determine which European or African narrative techniques are used in the novels and to analyze how these enhance the way the story is told. When watching Blood Petals, the reader will initially be struck by how the story is told through flashbacks to the past, rather than through present-day narration. Although nowadays flashbacks are used very frequently (this narrative technique is said to have originated in the Arabian Nights stories), making use of flashbacks in the books of Achebe and wa Thiongo as part of the African element. While the story of Ilmorog and its inhabitants is told from a future point of view, past events unfold one after another in chronological order. The book begins with a reference to present-day Ilmorog, where four people are arrested, and the reader is shown a newspaper excerpt from the Daily Mouthpiece, announcing the deaths of three prominent Kenyan men. The next chapter takes the reader back twelve years and the development of Ilmorog is gradually shown, while the story of how the four murder suspects met each other is slowly pieced together. The flashback method is used so that the first chapter, set in the present, makes sense in the reader's mind once the novel is finished. Therefore, the reader is kept in a state of curiosity and ignorance of what is happening, until the very end. This enhances the reading experience of the book, which comes to resemble a murder mystery. Another possible reason why the author specifically chose the flashback narrative to reveal the events that took place during the twelve years between the present and Munira's appearance in Ilmorog is that the past would demonstrate what led to it occurring certain actions. On the other hand, the use of flashbacks is not as prominent in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart; however, important examples of this narrative technique can be found, for example in the first chapter when Okonkwo's father is described as a "failure" whose "wife and children barely had enough to eat". And also in chapter nine, when Ezinma directs the medicine man to the "exact spot" where his "iyi-uwa" is buried. In the first mentioned flashback, the reader is given a peek into Okonkwo's past so as to understand his tenacity in becoming the epitome of masculinity in and around Umuofia. nine villages. The flashback recounting Ekwefi's numerous miscarriages and Ezinma's "iyi-uwa" gives more light to the history of Okonkwo's family and enlightens the reader about some traditions and superstitions of Okonkwo's tribe, as it relates to the theme of attrition between African and European religions.Just as in Petals of Blood, flashback narrative is used in Achebe's novel to provide the reader with the information needed to understand thedecisions and performances of various characters in the novel. Another aspect associated with African narrative techniques is how African writers do not simply create one hero or protagonist in the entire book. In both Fall Apart and Petals of Blood, one might find that the main hero of both novels is the "collective entity" of both Ilmorog and Umuofia. The idea of ​​a collective hero is closely linked to one of the main themes that characterizes both Achebe's and Umuofia's novels. Thiongo's books: the idea of ​​fighting against the invading colonizers. It does not combat the closure of a thematic past, which goes against Fanon's beliefs about the need to recover one's past and dispel the colonial myth that African history and culture are unimportant. The element of the collective hero, however, suggests an ongoing struggle and unity despite changing times and conventions. Ngugi tried to find a narrative technique that would push people together and inspire them to fight for their rights. This element is also evident in Fanon when he insists that the colonized writer must become "a galvanizer of peoples" rather than letting them slip into passivity. Therefore, the author uses literature as a collective voice belonging to Africans, in a demand for rights. and freedom. In Petals of Blood, the collective hero element can be seen manifesting itself multiple times. From a plot point of view, this can be seen in the journey of the inhabitants of Ilmorog to Nairobi, to ask the parliamentarian for help. The people of Ilmorog were of the opinion that "it's [their] turn to make things happen." One can also consider the songs sung by the community as another feature of the collective narrative technique, as the songs unite the entire village through language. A good example occurs during the celebration of the circumcision ceremony, where Njugana sings a couple of verses, to which a choir responds. The element of collective voice is also present in Things Fall Apart; some critics have also pointed out that the narrator of this novel "has no character", nor is he given an age, gender, or other attributes by which he can be described. This narrator is often described as a character who exists in events that have meaning for the members of a particular settlement and who also represents the concerns and ideologies of these communities. Therefore, the narrator is disembodied because his purpose is to symbolize the entire settlement. generally. Like the narrator of Petals of Blood, the narrator of Things Fall Apart is there to give voice to the people of Umuofia. The unity that binds the community is evident throughout the novel, for example in the way the “ekwe speak to the clan” to announce Ezeudu's death to the entire village, not just a specific individual. This shows how separate beings contribute in creating a unity: their clan, in this case Umuofia. On the other hand, community events, such as wrestling matches, are accompanied by songs sung by the audience in attendance, to honor the winner. This aspect is identical to the songs sung by the people of Ilmorog in Petals of Blood. Both novels include this narrative technique, where the author gives the community a shared spirit, as they can unite not only in celebrations, but also in the fight for a better life. Another feature to consider is the use of foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is used to develop tension in the novel, as it suggests to the reader what events may happen later in the narrative. It also creates consistency throughout the novel. Examples of foreshadowing appear in ancient texts such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Making prefiguration a techniqueinherently European narrative, unlike the use of flashback and collective voice. Foreshadowing can be found in both Petals of Blood and Things That Fall Apart and gives the reader an idea of ​​some important themes or events that happen in the novels. The first epigraph of the "First part" of Petals of Blood is a biblical quote that speaks of how "a white horse... came out victorious" and again of "a pale horse: and he who sat / above him, his name was Death …”These quotes from the Book of Revelation foreshadow the destruction that will follow the colonization of Kenya by Europeans, and how Africans will eventually be oppressed by their conquerors. One can see the word "Death" as a metaphorical death of African history and culture, as seen in the episode of Chui's appearance as the school principal in Syriana. The element of foreshadowing in Things Fall Apart is coincidentally also linked to colonialism. Obierka describes the white colonizers as being as white as a “piece of chalk” and reportedly “having no toes.” Machi responds jokingly that one of these supposedly white people is Amadi, a leper. Achebe concludes the chapter with the comment that "the polite name for leprosy was 'white skin'." The fact that it is the final sentence of the chapter leads the reader to wonder whether it contains a deeper meaning, and whether it is not just a joke or a casual observation. Indeed, Richard J. Lane suggests that this may foreshadow the invasion and aggression of the colonizers, quite intricately. Achebe clarifies that white chalk is used by guests to draw “lines on the floor” before eating kola nuts. Lane says the action of marking lines is a symbol of “boundary making.” This foreshadows the episode of the white man as a guest in the area, who is given a supposedly cursed piece of land in the Wicked Forest to build their church, outside the limits of their community. As time passed, the “host” began to infiltrate the land as the beliefs and ideologies of the colonizers spread among the Africans. So the white colonizer begins to "write" his own borders as he conquers more land. The idea that white skin resembles leprosy also foreshadows how the colonizers will spread between Umuofia and nearby villages like a disease. The colonizer here is very similar to leprosy, as the latter obliterates body parts and the Europeans have wiped out an entire village. It must be remembered that a village is very similar to a body in that each individual is expected to make the settlement whole, and therefore, the image of Achebe's leprosy used to foreshadow the destruction of the colonizers, is very appropriate. The narrative technique, used by both Ngugi and Achebe specifically to make the reader aware of the devastation brought by the Europeans themselves, is in itself very ironic and significant. The reason why the authors opted for this method to construct their novel is perhaps to reach international readers and to show other Europeans what is really happening in Africa. An important element that needs to be discussed when watching Petals of Blood and Things Fall Apart is the point of view through which the narrative takes place. Ngugi has decided to tell his story through multiple points of view, where the past of the four main characters - Munira, Karega, Wanja and Abdullah - is shown to the reader as the narrative unfolds. As the reader is comfortably placed in one of the characters' minds, and thus able to see the world through his or her perspective, the elements that built this particular protagonist begin to emerge and connect with the present, allowing the reader to make sense of/)