Description
Book SynopsisThe book Art and Political Thought in Bole Butake, through a pluralist critical approach, interrogates Butake's major creative worksLake God, And Palm Wine Will Flow, The Survivors, Shoes and Four Men in Arms, Dance of the Vampires and The Rape of Michelle mainly in terms of their political underpinnings and cultural signification. The intention is to place his drama within the socio-political matrix of Cameroon and demonstrate the topicality of the issues of governance, marginalization, and corruption in Cameroon or Africa that Butake consistently foregrounds in his creative works. The study opens with an overview of the historical and social milieu that feeds Butake's imagination and the introduction is followed by an interview of the playwright in which he explains his mission as a writer. The next two chapters appraise the political symbolism of Butake's plays and chapter five undertakes a comparison of the colonial legacy and the culture of corruption in Butake's Lake God and The
Trade ReviewArt and Political Thought in Bole Butake is studded with innovative insights into the plays of one of the most celebrated of Cameroon's creative artists. It profiles a playwright and theatre practitioner whose works have created tremendous impact particularly on the Cameroonian society. The authors source deep into the texts’ history, politics, ontology, anthropology and sociology, more than any study on a single author in Cameroon has done, to reveal among other ills, the extremes of corruption, power abuse and marginalization that have characterised Cameroon’s political scene since independence. Bole Butake’s ingenuity in crafting his plays with cultural symbols, oral tradition and other techniques of dramaturgy, which apart from critiquing the political ills, displays the cultural wealth of Cameroon, is skilfully brought out by the authors. One is struck by the depth of the details in the presentation of the playwright and his art, details that must be seen as indispensable for understanding the socio-cultural and political complexities of Cameroon in the postcolonial context. Dealing with a literature that is relatively new on the international scene, the book highlights the complex artistic peculiarities of Anglophone Cameroon Literature viewed from the perspective of a single author. It is thoughtfully written and will be of interest, especially, to the postcolonial students and researchers. -- John Nkemngong Nkengasong, University of Yaounde I
This book is a testament to the rich literary tradition that exists in the Cameroon Anglophone literary landscape, a landscape that has not enjoyed visibility in Africa due in part to the marginalization of Anglophones in modern Cameroon over the years. The editors have done a good job of exploring the various perspectives discernible in the plays of one of Africa’s foremost playwrights, Bole Butake. The book will make for an insightful read to speakers of English in general and scholars of African literature/studies in particular. -- Victor N. Gomia, Delaware State University
By focusing on the works of the famed Cameroonian playwright, Bole Butake, Art and Political Thought in Bole Butake exposes the corruption, tyranny, nepotism, and abuse of power that pervades all levels of society, including traditional institutions and various levels of government and its complex bureaucracy. The only solution to this societal decay is a revolution, which, ironically is led by women whose political contributions to society have historically been marginalized and dismissed in Cameroon and throughout the continent. However, according to the authors, Butake is conflicted on whether a revolution is the solution to the country’s ills, given the fact that similar actions on the continent only led to more authoritarian and corrupt regimes. This book is a valuable resource for scholars and students interested in understanding the post-colonial state in Cameroon and Africa. -- Joseph Takougang, University of Cincinnati
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Contextualizing Butake Chapter 2: Interview with Professor Bole Butake, Dramatist and University Professor who Refused to be “Lapiroed.” Chapter 3: The Political Dimensions of Lake God and Other Plays Chapter 4: Re-Configuration of Colonialism in Postcolonial Cameroon in Bole Butake’s Plays Chapter 5: Colonial Legacy and the Culture of Corruption in Lake God and The Rape of Michelle Chapter 6: Female Empowerment and Political Change in Lake God, The Survivors, and And Palm Wine Will Flow Chapter 7: Symbol and Meaning in Lake God and Other Plays Chapter 8: From Spoken to Texture: Orality in Lake God Chapter 9: Character and the Supernatural in Lake God Chapter 10: Conclusion and Butake’s Legacy
