Narrative genres and intertextual phenomena in the Sahelian region (myths, epics, and novels)

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Narrative genres and intertextual phenomena in the Sahelian region (myths, epics, and novels)
Author:	Dieng, Bassirou
Year:	1993
Periodical:	Research in African Literatures
Volume:	24
Issue:	2
Pages:	33-45
Language:	English
Geographic term:	West Africa
Subjects:	oral literature literature novels
About person:	Ahmadou Kourouma (1927-2003)
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/3819884
Abstract:	This article reformulates the dialectics of orality and writing. The aim is to show that the two systems constitute classes of texts of the same literature. The author proposes axes of analysis for the African novel and the transtextual relations that it maintains with epic and myth. The historical and geographical area the article deals with is that of the traditional culture of the Sahel, which constitutes a homogeneous cultural entity and covers approximately Senegal, Mali, The Gambia, Guinea, and parts of Mauritania, Guinea Bissau, and Côte d'Ivoire. The author shows that in this melting pot, literary productions dating from the myth of the founding of the Ghana-Wagadu empire to the epic of Samory share in the same literary system. The study is based on a textual analysis of the two novels by Ahmadou Kourouma: 'Les soleils des indépendances' (1970) and 'Monnè, outrages et défis' (1990), with emphasis on the latter. In the conclusion other works that relate to this literary series are indicated. Bibliogr.