Lessing, Doris: 1919 - 2013

The Grass Is Singing, 1950 - Thematic Parallels: Colonialism

Lessing, Doris: The Grass Is Singing, 1950, ~300pp
The topic of the novel centers on racial tensions, colonialism, and social oppression in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The novel explores the destructive effects of racism, sexism, and class divisions on both individuals and society.
The following books are thematically simliar. These texts lend themselves well to being read in groups, compared with one another, or used to teach a similar topic over an extended period with a class:
- Achebe, Chinua: Things Fall Apart, 1958, ~200pp
  This novel is about the impact of colonialism on Nigerian Igbo society.
  - Both novels depict the destructive impact of colonialism on social structures, personal lives, and cultural identity. They are tragic, socially conscious explorations of individuals caught in systems of cultural, racial, and gendered oppression, and both use personal stories to illuminate the broader societal crises of their time.
- Cole, Teju: Every Day Is for the Thief, 2007, ~170pp
  This novel explores postcolonial African life and identity.
  - Despite differences in time, setting, and style, both novels are social critiques: they explore alienation, moral decay, and systemic injustice, using the lens of an individual’s experience to reveal larger societal truths. In essence, both works dissect how human behavior is shaped and constrained by societal structures, whether colonial or postcolonial.
- Forster, E. M.: A Passage to India, 1924, ~280pp
  The novel addresses British colonial India and explores the cultural and racial tensions under colonial rule.
  - Both works share a focus on colonial oppression, racial tension, cultural misunderstanding, and the psychological effects of isolation. They explore the impossibility of harmonious relations under colonial hierarchies, using personal stories to reflect broader societal critiques.
- Paton, Alan: Cry, the Beloved Country, 1948, ~250pp
  This is a novel about social injustices and racial divisions in South Africa.
  - Both novels expose the human cost of racial and social oppression, use individual tragedies to illustrate systemic injustices, and invite ethical reflection, though they differ in tone: Paton is more hopeful and redemptive, while Lessing is darker and fatalistic.
List of general discussion questions on Colonialism (pdf)
List of essay prompts on Colonialism (pdf)