IGNOU MEG 8 Solved Question Paper

Welcome to our blog, In this post, we’re sharing the IGNOU MEG 8 Solved Question Paper of December 2020 examination, focusing on New Literatures in English.

This guide is here to help you prepare for your exams with clear answers and explanations. Whether you’re just starting or revising for your exams, this resource will make studying easier and more effective.

In this post, we’ll discuss all the answers including the short and long answer questions.

You can also download all previous year question papers of Meg 8 from our website.

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Question 1

1. How do you think literature and politics meet in the writings from Kenya and Nigeria ?

Literature and politics are deeply connected in the writings from Kenya and Nigeria, especially during and after the colonial period. Writers from both countries have used literature as a powerful tool to respond to colonial oppression, post-independence challenges, social injustice, and identity crises. Through novels, plays, poetry, and essays, Kenyan and Nigerian authors explore how political systems affect individual lives and national consciousness. Their works often reflect real political events, critique those in power, and express the hopes and struggles of the people.

In Kenya, one of the most prominent literary figures is Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. His early novels, such as Weep Not, Child and A Grain of Wheat, deal with the impact of British colonial rule, the Mau Mau rebellion, and the painful road to independence. These novels reflect how colonialism disrupted Kenyan society, damaged traditional values, and caused widespread suffering. After independence, Ngũgĩ turned his focus to postcolonial corruption and betrayal, particularly in Petals of Blood, where he criticizes how new leaders became oppressors. He later began writing in Gikuyu, his native language, as a political act against linguistic and cultural domination. Ngũgĩ’s commitment to linking literature with political resistance led to his imprisonment, showing how threatening politically conscious writing can be to authoritarian regimes.

In Nigeria, literature has also been a strong vehicle for political thought. Chinua Achebe, in his novel Things Fall Apart, shows the deep impact of British colonization on Igbo society. The story of Okonkwo is not just a personal tragedy but also a political critique of how colonial rule and Christian missionaries dismantled traditional African systems. Achebe believed that African writers had a duty to reclaim history and culture from colonial narratives. In his later works, such as A Man of the People, Achebe addresses post-independence disillusionment and political corruption, highlighting how newly independent nations often repeated the same patterns of exploitation.

Another major Nigerian writer, Wole Soyinka, uses drama, poetry, and essays to examine political tyranny, civil war, and human rights abuses. His play A Dance of the Forests, performed during Nigeria’s independence celebration, ironically warned against the return of traditional evils. Soyinka was imprisoned during the Nigerian Civil War for trying to mediate between warring factions. His writings reflect his belief that literature must engage with the truth, even when it challenges power.

Kenyan and Nigerian literature often explores similar themes: colonial violence, the betrayal of independence, ethnic conflict, poverty, gender oppression, and the struggle for justice. Writers in both nations see literature as a way to give voice to the voiceless, challenge false histories, and imagine better futures. Their works go beyond entertainment—they are acts of political participation, protest, and national self-examination.

In both Kenya and Nigeria, literature is not separate from politics. It is shaped by political events, responds to them, and sometimes even influences political change. Through powerful storytelling, these writers have helped their nations reflect on their pasts, question their presents, and hope for more just futures.

Question 2

2. What would you say were the three important historical movements that helped create a hybrid Caribbean culture ?

The Caribbean region has one of the most diverse and rich cultures in the world. This culture did not develop overnight but was shaped over centuries by different historical forces. Among these, three key historical movements played the most important role in creating what we call a hybrid Caribbean culture: European colonization, the transatlantic slave trade, and Asian indentured labour migration. Each of these movements brought new people, ideas, religions, and traditions, which blended together over time to form a unique cultural identity in the Caribbean.

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Question 3

3. Locate Patrick White’s position ‘inside’ or ‘outside’ or both in the Australian canon.

Patrick White is one of the most important and widely discussed writers in Australian literature. He was the first Australian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973, and many consider him the most internationally recognized Australian author. However, his position in the Australian literary canon is complex. White can be seen as both “inside” and “outside” the canon. He was deeply connected to Australian life and themes, yet often felt like an outsider because of his style, personal views, and the way he challenged traditional values in the heart of the national literature.

However, White can also be seen as “outside” the Australian canon. His writing style was not easy to understand. He used complex language, symbolism, and psychological depth that many readers found difficult. Unlike other Australian writers of his time, who told simple and clear stories, White’s novels were more like European modernist literature. This made some critics and readers feel that he was not writing for the ordinary Australian.

Also, White was openly critical of Australian society. He often said Australians were narrow-minded, too focused on material success, and lacking spiritual depth. His characters are often lonely, troubled, and searching for meaning in a world that does not care. This critical view made many Australians uncomfortable. Some saw him as someone who looked down on his own country, and for a time, he was not fully accepted by the general public.

In conclusion, Patrick White stands both inside and Patrick White is “inside” the Australian canon because he played a huge role in developing modern Australian literature. Before his time, many Australian novels were simple, realistic stories about the bush or working-class life. White, however, brought modernist and symbolic writing into Australian fiction. His novels, like Voss, The Tree of Man, and Riders in the Chariot, explored Australian landscapes, people, and culture in deep and spiritual ways. He focused on identity, isolation, and the human struggle, making Australian settings feel universal. His stories helped raise the standard of Australian literature and gave it global respect.

White is also “inside” the canon because his works deal with core Australian themes. He often described the harshness of the land, the emptiness of modern life, and the spiritual search for meaning. These are themes many Australians could relate to. In Voss, for example, the main character is an explorer lost in the Australian desert, which becomes a symbol of both the country’s physical harshness and the spiritual emptiness he faces. In this way, White’s works reflect Australia’s land, history, and emotional experiences, placing him firmly outside the Australian canon. He is inside because his works helped shape modern Australian literature and gave it an international voice. He is outside because of his difficult style, his modernist influence, and his often critical view of Australian life. This double position makes him a unique and important figure, whose legacy continues to challenge and inspire readers and writers in Australia and beyond.

Question 4

4. Examine Ngugi’s A Grain of Wheat in the light of the statement, “History is both a context and co-text.”

Ngugi’s novel A Grain of Wheat is one of the most powerful literary works about the struggle for independence in Kenya. The novel is set during the final days of British colonial rule, just before Kenya gained independence in 1963. The story takes place in a small village but reflects the larger political, social, and historical events of the entire country. The statement “History is both a context and co-text” fits this novel perfectly, because Ngũgĩ uses history not just as a background for the story, but as a central part of the narrative itself.

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Question 5

5. Would you call Soyinka a nativist ? Examine the nativist elements in A Dance of the Forests.

Yes, Wole Soyinka can be considered a nativist, especially in the way he uses traditional African beliefs, customs, and cultural values in his play A Dance of the Forests. However, he is not a nativist in a narrow or extreme way. Instead of simply praising the past or rejecting all foreign influence, Soyinka carefully blends traditional African elements with modern concerns to critique both the past and the present. His form of nativism is thoughtful and critical, not blind or nostalgic.

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Question 6

6. What do you understand by the term ‘Rastafasianism’ ? Can we agree that it functions as a counter-culture in Braithwaite’s poetry ?

Rastafarianism is a spiritual and cultural movement that began in Jamaica in the 1930s. It is rooted in African traditions, Christianity, and a strong belief in the identity and dignity of Black people. Rastafarians believe that Haile Selassie I, the former emperor of Ethiopia, is the Messiah and that Africa, especially Ethiopia, is their spiritual homeland. Rastafarianism promotes peace, unity, natural living, and the rejection of materialism and oppression. It also includes a strong resistance to colonialism, racism, and Eurocentric values. Symbols of the movement include dreadlocks, the colors red, green, and gold, and the ritual use of ganja (marijuana) for spiritual purposes.

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