Abstract:
Due to the so
-
called „radical‟ approach taken by writers of popular fiction, coupled with their subjects of interrogation, a
debate over quality and relevance has raged on with scholars criticizing popular literature for being aesthetically wanting
and inc
apable of commitment requisite of literature. Such works have been referred to as “...a trashy and scabrous
imitation of brothel and [low
-
life] especially yearned for the [low
-
brow] reader in this country”. In this regard, the
concept of „popular‟ becomes
ambiguous as it comes to the reader inscribed with the history of political and cultural
struggles. It is not only a site of contested evaluation but the term „popular‟ has also been used pejoratively. „Popular‟ ha
s
been used as synonymous with low
-
class;
and low
-
class with irrelevant. Literature forms a major avenue upon which
knowledge can be passed. In Kenya, in particular, Literature is part and parcel of English; a compulsory subject. There is,
however, a tendency to disregard popular literature in fav
our of canonical literature. The most obvious justification for
this has been that canonical literature has more „serious‟ knowledge to offer as compared to popular fiction/literature.
Due to this relegation of popular fiction to the peripheries, very litt
le attention has been accorded to its role in social
commentary. This association of popular fiction with the “low
-
class” members of the society has led to the
misconception that popular fiction has nothing “serious” to offer to the “elite readership”. To
debunk this notion, this
paper undertakes a holistic analysis of Meja Mwangi‟s “Going Down River Road” and in so doing, argues for the fact
that, from a post
-
modernistic viewpoint, this text provides verisimilitude to its fullest meaning. With use of adequ
ate
illustrations, the paper makes reference to the various tenets of post
-
modernism and: establishes the thematic concerns
dealt with by Meja Mwangi; identifies and discusses the interplay between politics and literature as espoused in this text;
and disc
usses the use of stylistics to capture the reality as lived by the characters in the text, and by extension, the author.
