Can Themba: The Legacy of a South African Writer

John Harold Crowe

Africa University Mutare, Zimbabwe


Abstract

The article seeks to explore the world of Can Themba, a foremost literary figure during the era of apartheid. Through an examination of a selection of his short stories we realise that writers often found sub- textual ways of confronting that pernicious system. This article argues that Themba did just that. Finally it also seeks to make problematic issues of labelling and stereotyping.

Keywords:

apartheid, township, myopic, allegorical, cultural morality

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Patel, E. (ed.) 1985. The World of Can Themba. South Africa: Raven Press.

Snyman, M. 2007. Can Themba: The Life and Work of a Shebeen Intellectual. MA Thesis, Department of English, The University of Johannesburg.

Themba, Can. 2006. Requiem for Sophia Town. London: Penguin Books.

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Published
2015-06-30


Crowe, J. H. (2015) “Can Themba: The Legacy of a South African Writer”, Crossroads. A Journal of English Studies, (9), pp. 13–19. doi: 10.15290/cr.2015.09.2.02.

John Harold Crowe 
Africa University Mutare, Zimbabwe