Narrative Technique as a Vehicle of Meaning in Shimmer Chinodya’s Harvest of Thorns

Abstract

This article is a critical examination of the select narrative techniques of Chinodya’sHarvest of Thorns. The article focuses on characterization and diction. It attempts to examine and demonstrate the relevance of character, linguistic foregrounding, and unscripted performance, foregrounding imagery, flashback, juxtaposition and dialogue to the overall thematic concerns of the novel. It adopts formalist theory of literature to analyze the text. Themes of oppression, exploitation, corruption, resistance, disappointment, xenophobia, and social inequality are explored. While the article recommends that a person should be mindful of the kind of literature he or she patronizes, it concludes that literary technique is a vehicle through which the author’s perceived themes are achieved.