AFRO ASIAN LITERATURE

What is literature?
Latin word –”litaritura”/”litteratura”
Meaning – writing formed with letters

AFRICA
It is the second largest continent (after Asia), covering about one-fifth of the total land surface of Earth.
ETYMOLOGY: Africa terra – “land of the Afri” (plural, or “Afer” singular)
“aprica”- sunny
“afar”- dust

ASIA
It is Earth's largest and most populous continent
ETYMOLOGY: Greek word Aoia
Greek name ultimately derived from the Phoenician word asu, which means “east”, and the Akkadian word
asu which means “to go out, to rise.”
“the land of the sunrise.”

WHAT IS AFRO- ASIAN LITERATURE?

 It is a term for writing written by people from mixed African-Arab ethnicity, or African-Asian ethnicity
 It mirrors not only the customs and traditions of African and Asian countries but also their philosophy of life
which on the whole are deeply and predominantly contemplative and hauntingly sweet.
 It is the reflection of the storm and the stress of developing nations seeking a place under the sun which
every student must understand so he may know how this literature affects the history and culture of a
nation.
 It refers to the literary output of the various countries and cultures in Africa and Asia. This includes their oral
traditions and from the first to the contemporary written and/or published prose and poetry.
 Earlier written documents were based on stories passed by word of mouth.
 Literary works were handed by mouth from generation to generation to entertain, educate and remind the
people about their past, heroic deeds of their people, ancestry and culture.
 Afro-Asian literature is a sign of new and modern times. It also teaches people and allows them to learn
about different experiences and cultures from all over the world.

GENRES: plays, poems, prose

 POEMS – tell about the history and culture of the Afro-Asian people. Today, Afro-Asians still express their
creativity and honor their culture by crafting beautiful poems such as haikus, ballads or sonnets.
 PLAYS – celebrate their own culture and ancestry by setting plays in the past and referencing historical events
in their storylines.
 PROSE – it is used to expose truth, to describe objects, places and people, to draw a reader deeper into a
story.

NORMS AND CULTURE

• NORMS - a standard or pattern, especially of social behavior, that is typical or expected of a group
• CULTURE - is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion,
cuisine, social habits, music and arts..

NORMS AND CULTURE: AFRICA

• Sense of Community - A popular African proverb comes to mind here to express the African sense of community. It
says: "Go the ways that many people go; if you go alone, you will have reason to lament“.
• Sense of Good Human Relations - The art of dialogue and conversation is a cherished value in African human.
People freely discuss their problems and look for suggestions and solutions together.

• Sense of hospitality - The African sense of hospitality is one of the African values that is still quite alive. Africans
have symbolic ways of expressing welcome. These are in forms of presentation of kola nuts, traditional gin, coconuts,
etc.; in various communities.

NORMS AND CULTURE: ASIA

• Family and Education - the basic notion of the family, and the central role that education plays in the family. Great
importance is placed on child rearing, and education is a fundamental aspect of this.
Reserve Conformity and Harmony - Since the well-being of the larger group is most important in Asian culture, great
importance is placed on maintaining harmony.

• Benevolence and Obligation - Asian societies tend to be very hierarchical, in contrast to African culture, where in
some cases it is not unusual to consider teacher and student, or even parent and child as equals. Asian hierarchical
relationships involve a lot of and what might be viewed as dependence or domination.

• Loss of face, shame and honor - Losing face is one of the better known Asian concepts among others society. Unlike
individualistic cultures, shame and honor go far beyond the individual, and reflect directly upon ones’ family, nation,
or other group, and so is taken very seriously.

NORMS AND CULTURE: GENERAL

• The Afro-Asian countries usually cared for their family first; then they are fond of their social values; and specially,
their love for their own country.
• They are also active in celebrating festivals that reflects their own characteristics as an Asian.
• They are religious because they give importance to 'The Creator' by giving thanks and offering prayers to Him.
• They are also active if we talk about literature because they are good writers.
• They are talented on different branch of sports and arts that they are about to compete worldwide.

COMMON THEMES IN AFRO-ASIAN LITERATURE

Afro-Asian literature shares several common themes between African and Asian countries. Some of these themes
include nature, peace, and the highlight on emotions.

• EXAMPLE ABOUT NATURE

Petals of Blood by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

• EXAMPLE ABOUT PEACE

No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe

• EXAMPLE ABOUT HIGHLIGHT ON EMOTIONS

Brave Faces: The Daring Stand Against Cancer by Nasra Al Adawi

The importance comes from the fact that Afro-Asian literature:

It is a sign of new and modern times
This writing is able to teach people and allow them to learn about different experiences and cultures from all over the
world

ANA MAE T. VILLANUEVA

BSED – English 3-1
Reporter