African literature in resistance: a feminist and decolonial analysis of Ken Bugul's El Baobab Loco
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30827/impossibilia.272024.29747Keywords:
African Literature, Colonialism, Cultural Identity, Senegal, Resistance to Oppression, Women’s Liberation MovementAbstract
El baobab loco by Ken Bugul is an autobiographical novel that stands out for its introspective approach and exploration of fundamental themes within African literature. Through her experience, the author highlights the importance of telling her own story by using writing as a means to preserve and transmit narratives that have been excluded from official ones. Hegemonic literature as a colonial device has contributed to the creation of unequal imaginaries by validating certain points of view to the detriment of others. Bugul, then, appropriates writing as a tool to redefine the collective understanding of history through identity, thus challenging the narratives imposed by colonialism. Her first novel invites us to a deep reflection on the importance of writing, literature, orality, and resistance in the construction of a more inclusive and authentic collective memory.
Hegemonic literature as a colonial device has contributed to the creation of unequal imaginaries by validating certain points of view to the detriment of others. Bugul, then, appropriates writing as a tool to redefine the collective understanding of history through identity, thus challenging the narratives imposed by colonialism.
Her first novel invites to a deep reflection on the importance of writing, literature, orality, and resistance in the construction of a more inclusive and authentic collective memory.
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