Spectralité et critique de la laideur : l’engagement postcolonial dans la littérature en français de la nouvelle génération d’écrivains africains

This dissertation examines the new generation of Francophone African writers and their negotiation of the theory of “engagement.” Thematically, many of these writers deal with the daunting problems faced by Africa and with issues linked to emigration to France. But they also have to work with French publishing houses and their exigencies as they relate to the international book market. The writers themselves aspire to be integrated in the “World Republic of Letters”. But such concepts as “World Literature in French” or “World Republic of Letters,” while more appealing to the new generation than the old Sartrian theory of “engagement,” do not always accommodate a commitment to specific, regional causes. I argue that because many writers may have divided loyalties and conflicting interests, their works of fiction manifest interesting, subtle ways of understanding and practicing a postcolonial “engagement.” Theories such as “hauntology” and post-realism can be used to account for some of their writings’ main features. To demonstrate this with specific examples, I study individual novels by Simon Njami, Daniel Biyaoula and especially Alain Mabanckou.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

French

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2010

Author dc:creator

• Sarr, Awa C.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Mall, Laurence
• Fresco, Alain D.
• Mathy, Jean-Philippe
• Kuntz, Jane

• Francophone literature
• sub-saharan literature
• immigration literature, committed literature
• litterature engagee
• postcolonial literature

Statement dc:rights

• copyright 2010 Awa C. Sarr

Language dc:language

fr

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/16985

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/16985