Elite Characters in Ethiopian Novels

Description

Elite Characters in Ethiopian Novels boldly illuminates the power of literature to unify a turbulent society. Taddele Gebre-Hiwot analyzes the comparative characteristics of the ruling class of Ethiopia by examining their representations in novels. He asserts how a novel is essentially a reflection of the society in which it was born, and transitively, why the elites should play a significant role in the literature. In this book, the line between sociology and literature bends as Taddele compares fictional portrayals of elites within Ethiopian novels in order to reveal the delicate relationship between the rulers and the ruled.

Three established novelists—Afeworq Gebre Iyesus, Haddis Alemayehu and Bealu Girma—reflect daunting sociological patterns within Ethiopia’s tumultuous past of conflicts and wars, but Gebre-Hiwot recalls the dangers posed to the authors. This book has the power to shock and educate, to leave the reader with a new appreciation for literature’s ability to tell the stories of every era while proposing solutions for social and political change.