DISRUPTING PROSE: DOES THE ZIMBABWEAN NOVEL ASSIMILATE OTHER GENRES? A STUDY OF HOVE’S BONES

  • Moffat Moyo University of Zambia
Keywords: Bakhtin, Novelness, Genre, Novel, Zimbabwean Novel, Literature

Abstract

This article is part of a larger study on novelness in the Zimbabwean novel, and is restricted to the novel’s quality of assimilating other genres. This follows Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory that the novel is an incomplete and ever-growing genre as it is a culmination of other genres. This article examines Chenjerai Hove’s first novel published in English, Bones (1990).The article notes that Hove has employed within the novel oral literary elements such as the proverb which appears extensively. It is also observed in this article that Hove has included other elements such as dialogue, monologue, and the lyric. The article concludes that through the use of other genres, particularly the poetic quality, the novel turns out to be an easy read and reflects the needs of the peasants whose cause it intends to champion.

Author Biography

Moffat Moyo, University of Zambia
Moffat Moyo is a PhD candidate reading novelness in the Zimbabwean novel. He teaches literature and culture at the University of Zambia in the Department of Literature and Languages. His research interests include: literary theory, theory of the novel and intangible cultural heritage.
Published
2021-10-06
How to Cite
Moyo, M. (2021). DISRUPTING PROSE: DOES THE ZIMBABWEAN NOVEL ASSIMILATE OTHER GENRES? A STUDY OF HOVE’S BONES. ZANGO: Zambian Journal of Contemporary Issues, 33, 60-67. Retrieved from https://nscme.unza.zm/index.php/ZJOCI/article/view/654