Karen Leonardo Blog Writing 11/29

Nugugi argues that it is better to preserve a culture’s history by encouraging writers to work in their home languages, while Rushdie argues that it is better to write in English. Nugugi states, ““Before, I had written a few plays in English, and novels in English, and I had not been in prison for being critical of the post-colonial system. So why now? And that question is what set in motion my thinking about the unequal relationship of power between language?” Nugugi reveals that no one really minded when they saw an African woman writing in English in her own country, because it was seen as ‘normal.’ However, Nugugi was not comfortable writing in a language that was not her mother tongue. But then she realized that it was prohibited to do so by the post-colonial African government. Nugugi stated that she had written a novel criticizing the government in English and she received no consequences, yet once she did the same thing but in her own African language she was put in prison for doing so. On the other hand, Rushdie states, “but today, I find, it is a debate which has meaning only for the older generation. The children of independent India seem not to think of English as being irredeemably tainted by its colonial provenance.” Rushdie acknowledges the fact that only the older generation really focus on the fact that English should not be ‘accepted’ to be written at home. She believes that the younger generation know that English is a language spoken all around the world that does not have to be translated and it will make it easier for others to read. Now India considers English to be an Indian literary language. Personally I believe that the language your family understands best should be written at home, that being English or your mother tongue. It is best to include everyone when being at home that way you and your family are on the same page and they are not left confused with the language. However, when being in a public area like school I would personally write things in English because I know that most of the people will understand what I am trying to express with no confusion. If I start writing all of my work in Spanish I know that a lot of people won’t be able to understand without having to translate it. The only two languages I am fully comfortable and confident writing in are English and Spanish, if it were any other language I would not be able to do it for the simple fact that I would not be educated enough to do it. I only grew up around those two languages, English and Spanish.