Walter Rodney Ctiticism

Rodney is a neo- Marxist and non- imperialist writer, meaning he views oppression of Africans rooted in the hands of the colonial capitalist activities in Africa and the suffering of Africans premised in the imperialistic activities of Europeans in Africa. His critical work helps in the debate on the definition of African literature, for he brings out the historical connection that makes it possible to analyse African literature dealing with the pre- colonial and post- colonial phases of African history. He reveals political, economic and social circumstances that informed the sensibility of most African writers.

Rodney is a writer who is guided by the ideology from the dependency/ underdevelopment theory. The dependency theory believes that capitalism’s modernization has interrupted the nature and tempo of development in the third world, exploited the technologically less developed societies for its benefit, made them dependent on the capitalist, modern countries and caused to lag back further and further back behind in economic terms. The underdevelopment school is optimistic about Africans development from the point of view of the Africans and the third world countries. It believes that these societies have an inherent ability to develop. Their development was actually interrupted by western imperialism. Rodney’s critism in his book, How Europe underdeveloped Africa was inspired by the ideas of this theory that developed during this time, 1960s when he wrote his book.

Rodney also writes against the idealists of the modernization school. It is of the opinion that African underdevelopment is due to certain inherent weaknesses and they developed considerably during the colonial times as a result of colonial policies. He also criticizes the literature that over celebrates and view development of Africans premised in the hands of European colonial activities.

Rodney defines development in human society as a many sided process. He says development is not a