Tragedy and Postcolonial Literature with Ato Quayson

The podcast explores the convergence of life, literature, and tragedy, particularly within postcolonial literature, featuring Ato Quayson, author of "Tragedy and Postcolonial Literature." Quayson discusses how the execution of Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa prompted him to connect literary tragedy with real-world events. The discussion differentiates between tragedy as a technical term involving suffering and injustice versus its common usage denoting sadness. Colonialism's impact on distorting communities and heroic values is examined, highlighting the ambiguity in postcolonial characters' identities. Waiting for meaning, as portrayed in Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" and the experiences of African migrants in Europe, is analyzed as a form of corrosive boredom. The conversation also touches on the effects of technology and declining social interactions on contemporary society.