Chaka thomas mofolo book

He is also world famous for his last book, chaka, because it depicted european colonialism as a bad influence on the native populations and celebrated the zulu king. Written in sotho, it is a mythic retelling of the story of the rise and fall of the zulu emperorking shaka. Within 25 pages, theres a forbidden love affair, a battle over kingship, a young boy killing a lion, a magical medicine to guarantee victory in battle, and worth the 25page wait a giant snake that emerges from a river, wraps itself around a bather, and proclaims a prophesy of chaka s future. One of the key themes in thomas mofolos novel is the.

Professor bouteldja riche, at the department of english, mouloud mammeri university tizi ouzou, in a 2010 paper thomas mofolo and ayi kwei armah. Mofolo shows the origin and the price of that thirst. It is certainly more legendstory that historically accurate portrait, but mofolo s novel is built on the reallife foundations of chaka s life, rule, and death. After graduating in 1898 with a teachers certificate from the missionary training college at morija in basutoland, mofolo worked at the sesuto book. Thomas mofolo author of chaka meet your next favorite book. Thomas mokopu mofolo is considered to be the greatest basotho author. Chaka, a novel written by the lesotho writer, thomas mofolo, is that kind of novela weird and gripping tale about one of the most enigmatic figures in african history. Chaka is a genuine masterpiece that represents one of the earliest major contributions of black africa to the corpus of modern world literature. He is best known for his ostensibly biographical, but. Mofolo depends on the oral traditionmore specifically, the traditional heroic cyclefor read more. The book is a fictional account of the heroic zulu king shaka, and is set in a more traditional nonchristian society, in contrast to the time and environment he wrote it in. The bankruptcy of the warrior tradition and the quest for a legacy of african intellectual heroism describes mofolos work of chaka as follows.

Thomas mofolo only wrote three books, but he is renowned for being the first author of westernstyle novels in the language of sotho. Mofolo s third and last book, chaka 1925, became the classic on which his reputation rests. Written in sesotho in 1909 though only published in 1925, it was an instant hit and quickly became mofolos most highly regarded work. The book examines the various military innovations made by chaka. The first book to be translated into english and then french, chaka, was actually mofolos third book. Thomas mofolo enlisted himself as the first major contributor to what could be regarded today as the stock of chakan literature when he wrote a novel on chaka. It is certainly more legendstory that historically accurate portrait, but mofolos novel is built on the reallife foundations of chakas life, rule, and death.

The novel tells the fictionalized and mythical story of the rise and fall of zulu emperor chaka. Thomas mofolo wrote chaka, which can be purchased at a lower price at thriftbooks. Within 25 pages, theres a forbidden love affair, a battle over kingship, a young boy killing a lion, a magical medicine to guarantee victory in battle, and worth the 25page wait a giant snake that emerges from a river, wraps itself around a bather, and proclaims a prophesy of chakas future. He was educated in the local schools of the paris evangelical missionary society and obtained a teachers certificate in 1898. He spoke briefly to the people of his home, asking them to receive him honestly with all their hearts, and let bygones be bygones which must be forgotten, so that. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or. Read chaka, by thomas mofolo online on bookmate written in sesotho in 1909 and first translated in 1931, thomas mofolos classic south african novel has formed the foundation of all modern interpr. While the language of the book took me a bit of work to get through, it wasnt for lack of action. Chaka by thomas mofolo is the first of many works of literature that take shaka, the great zulu leader as its subject. Mofolos fictionalized lifestory account of chaka shaka, translated from sesotho by d. The portrayal of the powerful in thomas mofolos novel chaka.

Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Chaka is a fictionalised account of the life of the c19th zulu king shaka. It was named one of the twelve best works of african literature of the 20th century by a panel organized by ali mazrui. Thomas mokopu mofolo 22 december 1876 8 september 1948 is considered to be the greatest basotho author he wrote mostly in the sesotho language, but his most popular book, chaka, has been translated into english and other languages. The powerless and the powerful have two very distinct roles in this novel. I do not believe, mofolo writes, that there was ever a human being whose life was as full of mystery as that of chaka. Initially, it looks as though mofolo is writing a hagiography, as we follow the traditional tale of the hero, struggling through adversity, son of a king but not. Kunene concludes in his thomas mofolo and the emergence of written sesotho prose 1989. He is best known for his ostensibly biographical, but largely fictional, narrative chaka 1925. How does the author successfully use the characters to portray the theme. Educated in protestant mission schools, mofolo worked as a teacher in the mission school system and regarded his writings as an instrument for the propagation of the christian faith among the sothospeaking people. The novel chaka was written by thomas mofolo, an author from lesotho. He wrote mostly in the sesotho language, but his most popular book, chaka, has been translated into english and other languages. Chaka chaka as mofolo says in his introduction, this is not a historical account of chaka aka shaka but a tale, by which he means an account of the legend of chaka.

Thomas mofolo books list of books by author thomas mofolo. Chaka by thomas mofolo meet your next favorite book. Educated in the local schools of the paris evangelical missionary society, mofolo obtained a. The book is something of a tragedy though, similar to macbeth, in which mofolo questioned the traditional role of the hero. As things now stand, mofolos purpose in writing this book must of necessity, forever remain a matter of conjecture, like the great mysteries of chakas life which are beyond the peoples understanding. Related questions and answers for characters in chaka. Mass market paperback paperback hardcover mass market paperback paperback hardcover we use cookies to collect information when you visit our site. The book has been translated into english on two separate occasions. He was the greatest of the authors who flourished in the early part of the 20th century, writing in sesotho for the morija mission. This novel is the first of many works of literature that takes the great zulu leader, king, and emperor as its subject. He wrote mostly in the sesotho language, but his most. Mofolos next and most successful novel, chaka, was published in 1925. Adjacent to that you can your reading expertise was. Thomas mokopu mofolo 22 december 1876 8 september 1948 is considered to be the greatest basotho author.

Africas mad and most loved emperor chaka by thomas. Chaka by thomas mofolo, 9780435902292, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Mofolos third and last book, chaka 1925, became the classic on which his reputation rests. A historical novel about the zulu king shaka, it presents its hero not as an allegorical. Chaka is the most famous novel by the writer thomas mofolo of lesotho. Thomas mofolo 18761948 was a lesothoan writer whose historical novel chaka encouraged a vernacular literary movement in south africa.

Buy chaka heinemann african writers series new ed by mofolo, mr thomas isbn. In chaka, thomas mofolo distinguishes between the powerful and powerless by making the powerful easier to relate to than the powerless, while also showing how very few of the powerless were able to acquire power. Chaka stood up in the midst of that multitude staring at him as if mesmerised, and then he spoke. Chaka is a novel based on the reallife figure, also known as shaka zulu, who lived from ca. Through duttons translation, not only europe became aware of, and benefited from, mofolos masterpiece, but indeed africa itself. Book is definitely written, printed, or outlined for everything. Thomas mofolos sentence design in chaka approached in translation mofolos sentence design in chaka is a challenge to the translator, not only because of the significant length of the sentences, but in particular for the extensive use of the semicolon, appearing within sentences of paragraphlength. Chaka is the third and final novel by basotho writer thomas mofolo. A modern tragedy and the first of its kind to mythologise the life of the zulu warrior king, chaka tells the tragic story of a boy shunned by his. Written in sesotho in 1909 and first translated in 1931, thomas mofolos classic south african novel has formed the foundation of all modern interpretations of the shaka legend. Written in sotho, it is a mythic retelling of the story of the rise and fall of the zulu. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Kunene, begins with the future zulu kings birth followed by the unwarranted taunts and abuse he receives during childhood and adolescence.

Within 25 pages, theres a forbidden love affair, a battle over kingship, a young boy killing a lion, a magical medicine to guarantee victory in battle, and worth the 25page wait a giant snake that emerges from a river, wraps itself around a bather, and proclaims a prophesy of chaka. The powerful are given more of a backstory so that we, as. As you may know that book is important point to bring us around the world. Thomas mokopu mofolo, the first important writer from what is now lesotho, who created the first westernstyle novels in the southern sotho language. Thomas mofolos sentence design in chaka approached in. This is a somewhat unreadable book detailing the life of chaka, a unifying king of previously unaffiliated and often warring southern african communitieskingdoms.