Modern Languages and Literatures, Department of
Date of this Version
2000
Citation
Published in International Journal of Francophone Studies 3:1 (2000), pp. 59–64.
Abstract
To what extent can we say that both Lacrosil and Bugul rewrite Fanon? Through the study of Cajou and Ken, respectively the Guadeloupean and the Senegalese female protagonists, this article proposes a way to derive a specifically female perspective on colonial violence. The essay focuses on the two novels, Cajou and Le baobab fou, and examines the effect of colonial epistemological violence and its specific impact on the black female’s subjectivity. The protagonists Ken and Cajou revisit their initial trauma in a quest for knowledge of their historical heritage and engage in a dialogue with Frantz Fanon, representative of black male intellectuals. Cajou and Ken are young women living in Europe during the late 50s and 60s. Although they find themselves in Europe under different circumstances, the women’s stay in Europe takes a tragic turn as the result of traumatic disillusionment and alienation, both physical and psychological.
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Comments
Copyright © 2000 Intellect Ltd. Used by permission.