Final answer:
The flowering of East African literature can largely be attributed to the historical influences of colonialism and the region's rich cultural diversity. These factors contributed to both structural and thematic complexities within the writings, offering a canvas for literary expression that reflects and critiques the colonial past and its enduring legacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two major factors that influence East African writings and have led to a flourishing of creativity by writers in the region are colonialism and cultural diversity. Colonialism introduced various changes including the suppression of local businesses and governance structures, creating a reliance on European countries for economic income. This has had long-lasting impacts, including the continuation of economic dependencies and the establishment of structured governments after the colonial period ended. Cultural diversity in the region is high, with hundreds of different indigenous ethnic groups, each with its own language and culture, which has contributed to a rich tapestry of storytelling and literature.
Colonialism also introduced new ideas and technologies, including the printing press, but its role in developing local capitalist classes was limited, constraining the economic growth and the rise of a wealthy African capitalist class akin to Europe during its formation of nation-states. Despite the often repressive and extractive nature of colonialism, it inadvertently laid groundwork for greater democratic processes and the modern state apparatus in Africa, albeit within a context of fraught political transitions post-independence.
Chinua Achebe eloquently summed up these complexities in his discussions on African history and colonialism. His viewpoint illuminates the influence of colonialism on African societies and its wide-ranging consequences on the literary output from East African writers, who often reflect and critique these historical dynamics through their works.