1 Introduction

Shaaban Robert is a famous writer in East Africa, and his work "The Biography of Siti Binti Saad" records the life of Siti, a female Tarab music singer in early 20th century East Africa, praising her character and feminine spirit. Siti was born into slavery, but became an important figure in the music industry. After Siti's death, Xia Ban created this biography based on oral sources, which is based on real history but also carries the imprint of the author's era, shaping an idealized female image. This article will explore the boundary between the work and objective history, the influence of historical conditions on its creation, and how it participates in the construction of Siti's personal history.

On the Research Value of "The Biography of Siti Binti Saad" from the Perspective of New Historicism

The new historicist literary theory emphasizes the close connection between literature and history, believing that literature is not only a reflection of history, but also can reveal the social and cultural system of a specific period. Stephen Greenblatt proposed that literary texts are the "spiritual fossils" of history. By analyzing the relationship between writers and mainstream ideologies, he found that literature has cultural characteristics of dissolving and subverting power structures in history. Hayden White's theory of "meta history" and "historical discourse" further points out that historical narratives have literary qualities and are a combination of truth and fiction, emphasizing the subjectivity of historical construction. New historicism challenges mainstream ideology, advocates the integration of literature, politics, economics, and other aspects of history and discourse, and rewrites literary history.

The Textuality of History: The Boundary between the Biography of Siti Binti Saad and Objective History

New historicist literary criticism holds that literature is closely connected to history, and history itself is also a form of text. The biography of Siti Binti Saad, as an important text for studying Siti's personal history, contains the subjective statements of the author Shaban Robert, which affects the understanding of Siti's true and complete picture. Siti lived during a period of social, political, and cultural upheaval in Zanzibar from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, when the abolition of slavery and rapid urbanization provided her with new opportunities. Her music not only entertains, but also conveys social messages, speaks up for the weak and women, and reflects the social reality of Zanzibar at that time.

The Historicity of Text 4: The Biography of Siti Binti Saad in the Process of Historical Construction

New historicist literary criticism holds that texts have historicity and are part of historical construction. The creation of the biography of Siti Binti Saad relies on oral materials, reflecting the oral tradition of Swahili literature. The image of Siti created by Shaaban Robert is a product of specific historical conditions, reflecting the attention of Tanzanian society to the status of women in the 1950s. Xia Ban's creative purpose is to promote excellent traditional morality, and the anti colonial attitude in his works is relatively implicit. The biography of Siti Binti Saad, as a literary work, participated in the construction of history and provided important materials for historical research. Although the work contains fictionality, it has become an important material for the study of Tarab music and Siti history.

5 Conclusion

The biography of Siti Binti Saad is an important work in Swahili language studies, providing readers with an opportunity to re-examine historical stories. Xia Ban Robert conveyed the importance of noble moral qualities through his works. This article uses New Historicism literary theory to analyze the relationship between works and objective history, pointing out that they possess both literary and historical textual attributes. Xia Ban demonstrated subjective creativity in his creations, filling historical gaps, but also overlooked social complexity. The generation of works is closely related to the social changes, intellectual progress, and literary development of the 1950s. Xia Ban's creations reflect his complex relationship with mainstream ideology and power authority. The biography of Siti Binti Saad has become an important material for historical research and has had a profound impact on later generations' understanding of Siti's history.