THE PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORICAL REALISM

Abstract

The philosophical hermeneutics of this paper is to examine the historical realism of the experiences depicted by Afro-Caribbean prose stylists in their fictional explorations. To this end, we shall contextualize the literary enterprises of two great writers from Africa and the Caribbean – Chinua Achebe and George Lamming respectively. Essentially, we shall look at the historical material available to both writers as well as the philosophies of the peoples and times they portray in their fictional works generallyaccepted as historical realism or a history based on true, actual and verified experiences of a people or place. Using the theoretical tools of history, post-colonialism and comparison, this paper attempts to establish how each writer fares when the narratives of his novels are put to the philosophical historical test. Accordingly, we are led to the question of the realism of novelists' historical consciousness as well as the philosophical debates and answers they proffer in their novels. Thus, while this paper tries to unravel the writers' sense and use of history, it nevertheless invites fresh perspectives by highlighting the overall affectation, the colonial historical experiences of their people have on the African and Caribbean writers as well as on their people that qualifies it to be termed historical realism.