In the context of tense racial relations, the creation of Zimbabwean English literature often has clear boundaries between black and white writers. Although white writer John Appel achieved literary success, he was not recognized by mainstream culture. As a colonial exile writer, Apel did not overlook African indigenous peoples from the high end of the civilization hierarchy, but respected African civilization and criticized colonial rule, racism, and other issues. His work "Absent, English Teacher" is set against the backdrop of the 2008 Zimbabwe crisis and tells the life experience of white George, showcasing patriotism, redemption consciousness, and longing for racial harmony. Existing research has mostly focused on the criticism and narrative techniques of black elites in novels, with insufficient attention paid to the theme of racial harmony. This article uses Ubantou ethics and the imagery view of Chinese scholars as tools to explore the racial harmony and community building consciousness contained in the bird duet imagery in the novel. It analyzes its relationship with the call of the times, the author's experiences, and emotions, as well as its important carrier for reflecting historical processes, social reality, and revealing the true meaning of life and the mysteries of human nature.

The "white bird" of the west branch of the nest and the unique sound of the "black bird"

By analyzing the duet imagery in 'Absent, English Teacher', this paper explores the desire for racial harmony in the context of Zimbabwe's ethnic conflicts. The article first introduces the "fast lane" land reform movement in Zimbabwe in 2000 and the ethnic conflicts it triggered, pointing out that Zimbabwe entered a period of historical and cultural transformation during this period. Furthermore, the article elaborates on the importance of imagery in literary creation from the perspective of Chinese literary theory, that is, to construct profound artistic images through suggestion and symbolic techniques, and to stimulate readers' psychological activities.

The "duet" and "imitation" that demonstrate the ethics of Wubantu

By analyzing the duet imagery of the white bird and the black bird in the novel 'Absent, English Teacher', this paper explores its connection with the African Ubanto ethics. Ubantou ethics emphasize collective values and racial harmony, in contrast to Western individualism. The novel expresses the author's vision of harmonious coexistence and progress of black and white races in Zimbabwe through the imagery of a duet. At the same time, the curled tailed bird in the imagery imitates the white fronted striped breasted weaving sparrow, implying that black people need to learn from Western civilization in their development process. This harmonious dialogue and humble communication are the prerequisites for building a harmonious community of races, and also the embodiment of Ubanto ethics.

The author's emotions and circumstances in constructing the imagery of bird duets

This article delves into the bird duet imagery constructed by É per in "Absent, English Teacher", which not only reflects the author's subjective experience but is also closely linked to his emotions and circumstances. Apel's sincere emotions towards Africa and his awkward position as a white writer in the Zimbabwean literary world led him to view racial issues as an insider and actively envision a harmonious Zimbabwean community. Unlike other white writers, Esper lived in Zimbabwe for nearly seventy years and his works are mainly aimed at African readers, with a strong local flavor.