Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature
Abstract
Inspired by Ferdinand Oyono’s novel Le vieux nègre et la médaille and relying on the works of Albert Memmi and a number of critics of the negro-african novel, what we are proposing here is a reflection on the relation between the colonizer and the colonized. At the very core of our analysis is the character of Meka, Oyono’s main character, who symbolizes the people’s strive for freedom and self-rediscovery and reconquest. Step by step, we follow him through his long and difficult “walk” or journey towards himself, towards his own truth. In our understanding of that whole liberation process, we are inevitably forced to rethink not only what we call “the origins”, but also the concept of laughter and the power of language in itself.
Recommended Citation
Lizotte, Alexandre
(2007)
"Meka ou le lent retour à soi,"
Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature: Vol. 68:
No.
1, Article 12.
Available at:
https://crossworks.holycross.edu/pf/vol68/iss1/12
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