Multiple Perspectives in New Literature in English with Reference to Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

Abstract

Last few decades of the previous millennium and the starting one of this century have witnessed a boom in world literature, particularly in English, both in British and non-British communities. As far as non-British literatures in English are concerned, there have been some of the more nationally or culturally specific labels or rubrics such as ‘the new literature in English’, ‘Commonwealth literature’, ‘black-British literature’, or‘post-colonial literature’. However, the phrase ‘new literature in English’ covers the rest of others. Though it has no canonical definition yet it can be suggested to be an umbrella term which refers to modern experiment in style, narrative techniques, linguistic experimentation and a wide variety in the contents. It unduly emphasises on ‘newness’. The experiences in new literature are new as they deal with variety of literatures having plethora of themes exclusively to different countries, such as being on the hinges of borders, in-between cross-cultural existence, ethnocentric perspectives and a recurring shift in past and present disposition (colonised and decolonised displaced identity). It also marks a manifesting deviation from the canonical English Literature which is about English sensibility, historically, geographically, culturally and ethnocentrically. The only commonality between the two types of literatures is the medium i.e. English as the canonical English literature is typical British in all its nuances and instincts while the new literature depends on the litterateurs belonging to particular countries. Various national and cultural experiences, sentiments and their delineation also vary. It implies an exclusionary periodization as significant literature written in English in the countries which formerly belonged to British colonies such as parts of Africa, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Caribbean countries, India, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, islands in the South Pacific, and Sri Lanka etc.