Living for the city: urban displacement and incarceration in Wright's Native Son and Rajabu's ‘Masudi’

Abstract

One of the neglected areas of globalization studies is the movement of people within countries. In post-colonial African nations and the antebellum United States, migration patterns have often been to urban areas. Two creative works which bear witness to these relocations are Richard Wright's novel Native Son and Marijani Rajabu's popular song ‘Masudi’. Both works confront the alienation and incarceration of young black men who find themselves unable to integrate into the urban geographies of Chicago and Dar es Salaam through different rhetorical strategies orchestrated in order to precipitate realizations in their respective audiences. Mojawapo ya malengo yasiosisitizwa katika masomo ya utandawazi ni yale yanayohusiana na uhamiaji wa watu ndani ya nchi zao. Kwenye nchi za Afrika baada ya uhuru na nchi ya Marekani baada ya tarikhi ya utumwa uhamiaji wingi ulikuwa ukielekea kwenye miji mikubwa. Kazi mbili za ubunifu ambazo hushuhudia uhamiaji huo ni riwaya ya Native Son ya Richard Wright na wimbo wa “Masudi” uliotungwa na Marijani Rajabu. Kazi hizo zote mbili zinakabiliana na kutengwa na kufungwa jela kwa vijana wawili weusi ambao wanajikuta hawawezi kujijumlisha na majiografia ya miji ya Chicago na Dar es Salaam. Wasanii hawa hutumia mbinu za balagha za tofauti ili kusababisha matekelezo akilini mwa hadhira zao binafsi. Maneno maalum: mahusiano kati ya nakala; uhamiaji; masomo ya Afrika; kufananisha mbinu za fasihi; masomo ya kustaarabika mjini