Of Pacts, Trickster Ethos, and Impact

Asaah, Augustine H.

doi:10.1177/0021934705285568

Journal of Black Studies

2007

DOI: 10.1177/0021934705285568

|View full text |Cite

Of Pacts, Trickster Ethos, and Impact

Augustine H. Asaah

Abstract: The article seeks to use the pact factor to interpret Kourouma's ground-breaking novel, Les Soleils des indépendances. The sinister figure of the predatory trickster is discernible in the profiles of the crafty man of religion and the wily dictator, both using myths of legitimization to enhance the success of their pacts with others. A pattern of deceit can also be observed in various societal compacts. In the author's use of language, storytelling techniques, and rapport with the reader, however, he arrives a… Show more

Help me understand this report

Search citation statements

Order By: Relevance

Paper Sections

Select...

Citation Types

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Year Published

2016

2024

Publication Types

Select...

Article2

Relationship

Self Cite0

Independent2

Authors

Journals

Cited by 2 publications

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“Original sufferhead”: The boy-child and masculine sufferings in Ahmadou Kourouma’s Allah n’est pas obligé and Les Soleils des Indépendances

Jemiluyi

2024

French Cultural Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Revered as one of the principal figures of contemporary African literature and one of the greatest francophone writers, the celebrated Ivorian author; Ahmadou Kourouma, is renowned for his criticism of colonial machination, Africa's political and social structure, and satirical writings. In his selected works for this study—“Allah n’est pas obligé” and “Soleils des indépendances,” he profoundly explores and examines the arduous journey of the boy-child and manhood and how they grapple with societal pressures, expectations, challenges, exploitations, and conflicts. More so, he expounds the complexities of masculinity and the challenges of being a “man” in an African society. Thus, this study comprehensively explores the narratives of Kourouma and punctiliously investigates how they illume the intricacies of masculinity and the course of the boy-child. By adopting literary analysis, this study anatomizes the plotlines and characters within the selected works of the Ivorian prodigy and elucidates how the tribulations of the boy-child and the man are vividly depicted. It probes the societal expectations, identity crises, and emotional turmoil linked to these characters who struggle to navigate the turbulent pathway to manhood. Additionally, it spills the allegorical significance of “original sufferhead,” a musical piece from the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti, serving as a puissant metaphor that captures the struggles of the boy and the man in a failing society.

show abstract

“Original sufferhead”: The boy-child and masculine sufferings in Ahmadou Kourouma’s Allah n’est pas obligé and Les Soleils des Indépendances

Jemiluyi

2024

French Cultural Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Telling the Tale, Telling the Nation: Tiv Tales, Modernity and the (Re)construction of Nigerian Nationhood

Tsaaior¹

2016

SAJFS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Scholarship negotiating African folktales and the entire folkloric tradition in Africa has always been constituted as harbouring fundamental lacks. One of these lacks is the supposed incapacity of oral cultures to produce high literature. However, it is true that folktales and other oral forms in Africa can participate actively in the social, political and cultural process. In this paper, we engage folktales told by the Tiv of central Nigeria and situate them within the dynamic of history, culture, modernity and national construction in Nigeria. The paper adopts a historicist and culturalist perspective in its interpretation of the folktales which were collected in particular Tiv communities. This methodological approach helps to crystallize the historical and cultural lineaments embedded in the people’s experiences, values and worldviews. It also constitutes a contextual background for the understanding of the folktales as they offer informed commentaries on social currents and political contingencies in Nigeria. It argues that though folktales belong to a pre-scientific and pre-industrial dispensation, they are part of the people’s intangible cultural heritage and are capable of distilling powerful statements which negotiate Nigerian modernity and postcolonial condition. The paper underscores the dynamism and functionality of folktales even in an increasingly globalised ethos.

show abstract

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

customersupport@researchsolutions.com

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

Of Pacts, Trickster Ethos, and Impact

Cited by 2 publications

References 5 publications

“Original sufferhead”: The boy-child and masculine sufferings in Ahmadou Kourouma’s Allah n’est pas obligé and Les Soleils des Indépendances

“Original sufferhead”: The boy-child and masculine sufferings in Ahmadou Kourouma’s Allah n’est pas obligé and Les Soleils des Indépendances

Telling the Tale, Telling the Nation: Tiv Tales, Modernity and the (Re)construction of Nigerian Nationhood

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About