Literature and History compliment each other when used to create novels, fictional and non fictional books. Literature promotes a critical insight to historic events and can be used to engage readers on a personal level by making real life events clearer and more heartfelt. History, when used in Literature is the meaning of the past, told to us through the written words of language.
Many philosophers, historians, linguists, and writers have successfully used writings to record historical times and events by way of ledgers, letters, journals, and even the press. Eventually these small pieces of information are recorded and used in many different forms of literature; including textbooks, autobiographies, and even novels. History sets the era, location, and other essential details to the characters background and gives an idea of what the author is trying to present.
One story, “The Black Mans Burden” written by Edward Morel, describes the trials and triumphs of the black man’s plight in Africa before, during, and after the European reform. This story is an ideal example of the relationship between history and literature in action. Morel speaks of slavery, the beatings the black man endured, cruel working conditions both in slavery and after slavery was abolished, and the events of European political influences that bombarded Africa. Of all that the African has been subjected to, he has managed to survive and live to tell the horrors to his children. There is a sort of pride in Morel’s writing that upholds the black mans trials and tribulations… he survived.
Looking back in the pages of African history, readers can find many instances of the abuse the Europeans plagued the Africans with, such as the effects of the growing involvement of the European domination in the African political and economic affairs. After the elimination of slavery, the Europeans managed to increase their exploration of Africa, “which ushered in imperial and colonial ventures that had...