The Quest for the Survival of African Culture and Tradition: A Structuralist Reading of Ayi Kwei Armah’s Fragments

Abstract

Using reader-response literary criticism and structuralism, this paper has evaluated and examined the necessity of preserving and revitalising African culture and tradition. It has also shown the intrinsic relation between the ancestors and the living people as featured by Ayi Kwei Armah in Fragments. Ancestors are revered and worshipped because of their importance in the lives of African people. Ancestors protect people who are still living and they also punish people who disobey the norms of society. The study revealed that western culture and the excessive love of materialism threaten African culture and prevent it from thriving socio-culturally. African people should undertake serious actions which will contribute to the rebirth and the restoration of African tradition. The contact between Africa and the West has negatively influenced the leadership of Africa. Corruption and bad governance have been embraced and introduced into the system of governance by new African leaders who took over. Nepotism, theft, bribery, and their likes have become cherished values in post-colonial Africa. The study recommends that African people should go back to their sources in order to build a solid foundation in Africa