Writing an Interesting Research Paper on African Literature

Although African culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world, its literature is relatively young. African territory has been isolated from the rest of the world. Language development in these territories was rather slow, and was influenced by a variety of internal and external factors. 

The literary tradition of Africa used to be primarily oral. Writing was rare, particularly in the southern and central parts of the continent, especially when compared with northern territories. However, ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations were highly developed. African literature is a literature of contrast. If you are going to write an interesting paper on African literature, here is a list of actions to take that will improve the quality of your research paper. 

• Select a narrow topic.

Describing literature in general is not interesting at all. Try to connect the topic of your research with some event, person, situation, etc. These particular facts will add some charm to your work as they will differentiate it from other works. Specify the topic and narrow it down as much as possible. 

• Select a topic with a lot of available information.

If you choose a topic that does not have enough material to write a whole paper on, your efforts will have been for nothing. A strong basis of information is required for any worthy research paper. Check that there is enough information on your topic before you begin.

• Choose the research method that will be applied during your research.

The methods you use to conduct your research project are rather important. Think, what do you want to write about? You can use a descriptive method that functions to provide information on some particular writer, group of writers, historical period in literature, etc. For example, you can use the method of comparison to discuss the differences and similarities between the literatures of two different time periods, or between the early and late works of a noted author. Don’t forget about contextual analysis of the literary piece. Many other methods can improve your text and make it more engaging. 

• Try to bolster your work with appealing material.

When you are writing something, try to give interesting examples or facts that will increase the readers’ interest in your work. Imagine that you are about to read your finished piece for the first time. What information on African literature would you be interested in reading about? 

• Mind the historical background.

Historical background plays a vital role in the literary tendencies of the region. Try to select a historical period that would grab the attention of readers, and trace the time period’s influences on literature through time.