It still makes sense!: Shona ngano (folktale) and the contemporary Zimbabwean socio-economic and cultural setup

• Main Author: Makaudze, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS) 2013-06-01
• Series: International Journal of Development and Sustainability
• Subjects: Folktalecolonialist; contemporary literature; Afro-centric
• Online Access: http://isdsnet.com/ijds-v2n2-6.pdf

Colonialist thinking in Zimbabwe relegates folklore, especially folktales to an art of the past, with no relevance to today’s life experiences. The same thinking further condemns this art as a less serious form of literature which does not warrant serious consideration, with some renowned contemporary artists even composing songs that demean this body of literature. Contrary to such perceptions, this form of literature has never been static and trivial. Rather, it was, and remains a valuable way of exposing and interpreting reality and challenges posed by life. This paper thus argues and shows that folktales constitute a serious body of literature to which contemporary Zimbabweans must not only pay serious attention, but also tape from, for a better understanding of reality and for them to cope with challenges posed by modernity. The paper uses Afro-centrism as a theoretical grounding for the arguments.