Perspectives

This part of the study guide is designed to help you put “The Old Chief Mshlanga” by Doris Lessing into perspective, and give you some points for a meaningful dialogue about the story in connection to literary period, similar works and the author’s style.

Literary period

Doris Lessing lived and wrote during the Modernist and Postmodernist periods in literature. Most of her works however can be defined as Modernist.

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Works with the same theme

For a better understanding of issues connected to racial prejudice and injustice in African societies we encourage you to also read stories like “Once upon a Time” by Nadine Gordimer,...

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Works by the same author

To better understand Doris Lessing in terms of style of writing and the themes she approaches in fiction we also recommend that you read some of her other short stories.

“DHSS” (Worlds of English, pp. 62) follows the theme of poverty...

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