Empowerment through indigenous literature: the case of Shona novels

Abstract

Languages express the needs of their users, opening windows to information and knowledge. A language of excellence and empowerment is seen through the quantity of literature and thought it can express. In the information age, literature forms a reliable and consistent reservoir of a people's life experiences, aspirations and endeavours. It is the main means by which language transfers the images of the world embodied in the culture it carries. Literature that is empowering broadens its readership and equips its readers to deal with their social and physical environment while opening avenues for artists to exhibit their creative genius.