Colonial Discourse and the Jesus-fication of King Chaka: How Thomas Mofolo's Chaka Turned the Zulu Monarch into a Messiah [Hardcover]

AlthoughChakais considered an African literary masterpiece, Thomas Mofolo has paradoxically been dismissed by critics as an author naively extolling the virtues of the white mans civilizing mission in Africa. Daniel M. MengarasColonial Discourse and the Jesus-fication of King Chaka: How Thomas MofolosChakaTurned the Zulu Monarch into a Messiahoffers a rereading ofChakato show that Mofolo in fact astutely deconstructs, and then reconstructs, Zulu king Chaka into a messianic figure whose life trajectory and destiny blasphemously mirror those of Jesus Christ. This volume avoids the pitfalls of the traditional mission interpretations ofChakaand provides an interpretative inflection that paints a more nuanced and balanced picture and understanding of Thomas Molofos fictional account of the mythologized historical figure. Mengara delves into the circumstances and controversies surrounding the publication of the novel and shows how Molofo Jesus-fied King Chaka in a sly, yet sacrilegious ploy to subvert the colonial discourse and missionary ethos of his time. This book stands as a reassessment of Thomas Mofolos often-ignored nationalism and calls for a rediscovery of Mofolos work in ways that resituate him within the history of the African novel as the undisputed pioneer of engaged African literature.Daniel M. Mengarais professor of French and Francophone studies in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Montclair State University.Colonial Discourse and the Jesus-fication of King Chaka: How Thomas MofolosChakaTurned the Zulu Monarch into a Messiahis a fascinating work of literary criticism and historiographic reclamation. Daniel M. Mengara offers a crucial rereading ofChaka, a text damned by its canonization but essential to the history of the African novel. Deena Dinat, University of British Columbia

Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Chaka the Man and Chaka the Myth: Who Truly wl£k