~
IMAGERY AND CHILDREN'S
LITERATURE
A CASE STUDY OF FOUR SELECTED
IN KENYA
TEXTS
by
PARITA~VEDI
A
Thesis
Degree
of
submitted
Master
in part
of
Arts
in
fulfilment
the
for
university
the
of
Nairobi
1991
(iii)
ABSTRACT
This thesis examines the
mporary
children's
role of imagery
literature
to the impressionability
old reader.
in Kenya.
the
the nature,
literature,
by
terms,
significance
emphasizes
of
of
thesis
functions
various
and
it also
abstract
qualities
for young
contemporary
of
whose
to physical
readers
In addition,
the
of
nature
speech
such
as
that
by
comparing
entities,
to cognize
it
reality.
from children's
is
This
literary
imagery.
thesis
makes
a textual
analysis
texts that are representative
written
and
and personification.
esta~lishes
texts to illustrate
four selected
definitions
contexts.
figures
is done by using examples
this
and
children's
••image" ,
discusses
hyperbole
Further,
Finally,
further
is derived either from the linguistic,
simile, metaphor,
easier
It
in
operational
••
imagery"
chapter
of
the aesthetic
the functions
imagery
or from the extra-linguistic
the
literature
literature.
the types,
giving
the place
oral and written
function
significance
the
of the nine to twelve year
The discussion
cognitive
discusses
in relation
It starts off with outlining
and role of children's
and
in Kenya
in conte-
prose
for children
of
of the
in Kenya.
(iv)
An analysis of the imagery in Ngugi Wa Thiongo's,
Njamba
Nene
Rana's,
and
the
Flying
Courage to Dream,
Adventure in Mombasa
Car Named Safari,
(1988)
Bus,
(1986)
Saleem
Juma Bustani's,
(1988)
and Elijah Kariuki's, 8
is intended to explore the
(1981)
hypothesis that imagery in children's literature in
Kenya is not just a rhetorical ornament, but is
also a literary agent which helps in shaping the
value system and outlook of the young reader.
The
concepts
are
developed
in the previous
chapter
employed to make a concrete analysis of the four
selected texts. The response of the children to the
images in the text will be used to support and
clarify the hypothesis.
The
analysis
of
the
four
children's
stories
attempts to demonstrate that children's literature
has
a
fecundity
attitudes,
the
of
images
that
implicit...
value
conveys
the
judgements,
the
vision and the world view of the writer.
An
attempt
is made
to
show
the
aesthetic
and
highlight the cognitive functions and significance
of imagery in children's literature.