The Palm-Wine Drinkard
Encyclopedia
The Palm-Wine Drinkard is often considered the seminal work of modern African literature. It gained Nigeria
n writer
Amos Tutuola
acclaim in the West and criticism at home. The book was based on Yoruba
folktales, but was largely his own invention using non-standard English prose.
While distinctly African, the novel bears some resemblance to the Magic realism
works of South American writers such as Juan Rulfo
and Gabriel García Márquez
. In all of these works the tone is mystical and pre-modern, but told in the form of a narrative novel which is in essence a modern form. This contrast is a manifestation of the transition between traditional cultures and the global trend towards modernity.
The Palm Wine Drinkard tells the mythological story of a man who follows a palm wine tapster into the land of the dead or "Deads' Town." There he finds a world of magic, ghosts, demons, and supernatural beings. The book came out in 1952 and received accolades from Dylan Thomas
as well as other Western intellectual figures of the time. However among many African intellectuals it caused controversy and received harsh criticism. In Nigeria
, in particular, some feared the story showed their people in a negative light. Specifically, that it depicted a drunk, used Pidgin English, and promoted the idea Africans were superstitious. However Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe
defended Tutuola's works stating the stories in it can also be read as moral
tales commenting on Western
consumerism
.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Amos Tutuola
Amos Tutuola
Amos Tutuola was a Nigerian writer famous for his books based in part on Yoruba folk-tales.- Early history :Tutuola was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1920, where his parents Charles and Esther were Yoruba Christian cocoa farmers. When about 7 years old, he became a servant for F.O...
acclaim in the West and criticism at home. The book was based on Yoruba
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
folktales, but was largely his own invention using non-standard English prose.
While distinctly African, the novel bears some resemblance to the Magic realism
Magic realism
Magic realism or magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements blend with the real world. The story explains these magical elements as real occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the "real" and the "fantastic" in the same stream of...
works of South American writers such as Juan Rulfo
Juan Rulfo
Juan Rulfo was a Mexican author and photographer. One of Latin America's most esteemed authors, Rulfo's reputation rests on two slim books, the novel Pedro Páramo , and El Llano en llamas...
and Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in...
. In all of these works the tone is mystical and pre-modern, but told in the form of a narrative novel which is in essence a modern form. This contrast is a manifestation of the transition between traditional cultures and the global trend towards modernity.
The Palm Wine Drinkard tells the mythological story of a man who follows a palm wine tapster into the land of the dead or "Deads' Town." There he finds a world of magic, ghosts, demons, and supernatural beings. The book came out in 1952 and received accolades from Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
as well as other Western intellectual figures of the time. However among many African intellectuals it caused controversy and received harsh criticism. In Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, in particular, some feared the story showed their people in a negative light. Specifically, that it depicted a drunk, used Pidgin English, and promoted the idea Africans were superstitious. However Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe
Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe popularly known as Chinua Achebe is a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic...
defended Tutuola's works stating the stories in it can also be read as moral
Moral
A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...
tales commenting on Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
.