"The Stranglehold of English Lit"

In the poem I read “The Stranglehold of English Lit” it confused me a lot. When I first started reading it I came across many words that I felt had nothing to do with English Lit in our society. But the more and more I read I seem to figure out that the author Mnthali was questioning the works of Africa.  He uses works such as stab; jab and gore to answer the question would Europe in Africa stood the time of English Lit.

One thing in the poem that stood out to me the most was when Mnthali said “While history went on mocking the victims of branding irons and sugar plantations” he is stating in that quote that The people of Africa or as we call them today African Americans are the people in history being looked down upon and with people like Jane Austin around how could this be stopped or how could these questions be answered. English Lit back then was just seen as a cruel joke and in the colonization of the mind the British often conquered the Africans. And the Sons and daughters that have been disposed, Africans that had been educated were a mockery to them and didn’t exist.

When I reflect back on this poem it makes me take a whole new perspective of English Lit. I will never view English Lit the same. When I think of English Lit I think of all the positive effects it has over its entire people. I never thought of it singling out the Africans. But also when I think about it maybe this poem was a way that the author explained and got across his points to the people who read it what exactly was going on.