Evaluation of a literary text:

Cyprian Ekwensi's novel Burning Grass published in 1962 is a major work of Nigerian literature. Its translation into French by Françoise Balogun as La Brousse ardente in 1965 brought this poignant tale to a wider French-speaking audience. However the translation of the title raises important questions about the translator's choices and their impact on the perception of the novel.The title Burning Grass is richly symbolic on several levels. Firstly it literally evokes the burning of savannahs a common practice in West Africa to renew pastures. The image also symbolizes the social and cultural upheavals that shook Nigeria at the time of independence. Moreover the burning grass can be interpreted as a metaphor for the passion and desire that drive the novel's characters.