1.

New Criticism:

Focuses on the text itself, disregarding authorial intent, historical, and cultural contexts.

Example: Analyzing the poetic language and intricate symbolism in Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda
Adichie, focusing purely on textual elements like metaphors and their internal relations without
considering the author's biography or Nigerian culture.

Emphasizes close reading to uncover layers of meaning in the text.

Example: A detailed reading of The Elephant Dance by Ole Kulet to uncover hidden themes and
relationships through the text’s structure and word choice.

Values the text as a self-contained, autonomous entity.

Example: Treating Shadows of the Moon by Ali Mazrui as an independent work, analyzing its narrative
structure and thematic coherence without referencing historical or social contexts.

Seeks to discover the inherent unity and complex interplay of literary devices within the text.

Example: Investigating the use of irony and paradox in We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo to
reveal the text’s underlying unified aesthetic.

2. Poststructuralism/Deconstruction:

Challenges the idea of fixed meanings in texts, arguing that language is inherently unstable.

Example: Deconstructing the narrative voice in Purple Hibiscus to show how language and meanings
shift depending on the context.

Focuses on how meaning is constructed and deconstructed through language.

Example: Examining how The Elephant Dance plays with narrative conventions and reader expectations
to disrupt traditional interpretations of the text.

Sees texts as sites of endless deferment of meaning, where meanings are always in flux.

Example: Analyzing the shifting perspectives in Shadows of the Moon to illustrate how text meanings
are not fixed but evolve with each reading.

Employs techniques like deconstruction to reveal contradictions and tensions within texts that
destabilize the text’s apparent coherence.

Example: Critiquing the narrative structure in We Need New Names to highlight the instability and
contradictions inherent in the narrative form.

3. Postcolonial Criticism:

Examines literature from previously colonized countries, focusing on issues of identity, power, and
resistance.

Example: Analyzing Purple Hibiscus for its portrayal of post-colonial identity and the tension between
traditional and Western values.
Analyzes how colonial and anti-colonial discourses shape the literary text.

Example: Discussing colonial influences and cultural clashes in The Elephant Dance.

Explores themes of displacement, hybridity, and the enduring impact of colonialism on both colonizer
and colonized.

Example: We Need New Names as an exploration of the immigrant experience, depicting the hybrid
identity and cultural displacement of its protagonist.

Critiques the representation of the ‘Other’ and addresses the role of literature in perpetuating or
resisting colonial attitudes.

Example: Examining the portrayal of Western characters in Shadows of the Moon and how they reflect
or subvert colonial stereotypes.

4. Reader Response Criticism:

Argues that the meaning of a text is created in the interaction between the reader and the text.

Example: How different readers might interpret the religious themes in Purple Hibiscus based on their
own beliefs and backgrounds.

Emphasizes the reader's role in interpreting and giving meaning to the literary work.

Example: Discussing reader reactions to the depiction of gender roles in The Elephant Dance and how
personal experiences influence these interpretations.

Focuses on the reader’s experience and the process of reading rather than the text alone.

Example: Analyzing reader engagement with the narrative style of Shadows of the Moon and its effect
on their understanding of the political themes.

Acknowledges that different readers may derive different meanings from the same text, influenced by
their personal experiences, emotions, and expectations.

Example: Reflecting on how personal immigration experiences might affect the interpretation of We
Need New Names.

5. Postmodernism:

Questions grand narratives and universal truths, emphasizing plurality and diversity.

Example: Analyzing Shadows of the Moon by Ali Mazrui, which may employ pastiche and parody to
challenge historical narratives about Africa.

Mixes styles and ideas from different times and places, often blending the high and low culture.

Example: Observing the blending of traditional Shona storytelling and modern narrative techniques in
We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo.
Employs metafiction and irony to undermine the authority of the author and traditional narrative
techniques.

Example: Examining the self-referential elements in Purple Hibiscus, where the narrative may comment
on its own storytelling process.

Recognizes the fragmented, uncertain nature of human experience and the complexity of representing it
in literature.

Example: The fragmented narrative structure in The Elephant Dance by Ole Kulet, reflecting the
complexities of cultural identity.

6. Archetypal Criticism:

Focuses on common mythic, archetypal patterns that recur across different cultures and historical
periods.

Example: Identifying the archetypal “mother figure” in Purple Hibiscus and exploring its variations and
significances across different cultural contexts.

Analyzes how these archetypes manifest in literature and what they reveal about human psychology or
cultural norms.

Example: Exploring the archetype of the "trickster" in We Need New Names, and how it represents
societal response to oppression and survival.

Seeks to uncover universal symbols and themes that resonate with collective unconsciousness.

Example: The depiction of landscape and nature in The Elephant Dance as archetypal symbols of earth
and fertility common in many cultures.

Interprets texts by relating them to recurring motifs and archetypes found in a wide range of literature.

Example: The use of the "shadow" archetype in Shadows of the Moon, representing the dark side of
human nature and political power.

7. Ecocriticism:

Studies the relationship between literature and the physical environment.

Example: Exploring the depiction of the African landscape in The Elephant Dance by Ole Kulet, focusing
on how it shapes the characters' identities and the narrative.

Explores how literature reflects, influences, or portrays the ecological consciousness and environmental
issues.

Example: Analyzing Purple Hibiscus for its treatment of the natural environment, noting any ecological
degradation and its metaphorical use to reflect the family dynamics.

Promotes awareness of environmental concerns through literary analysis.

Example: Critiquing environmental destruction and its socio-economic consequences depicted in We

Need New Names.
Examines the anthropocentric attitudes in literature and advocates for a more eco-centric perspective in
literary criticism.

Example: Analyzing Shadows of the Moon for its portrayal of human interaction with the environment,
potentially critiquing human-centered narratives.