We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Counter-Hegemonic Madness and the Dialectical Development of Resistance Movements in Imbolo Mbue's How Beautiful We Were.
- Authors
Hlongwane, Gugu
- Abstract
Thisessayexplorescounter-hegemonicmadnessasresistancestrategyagainstEuropeancolonialism,Americanimperialism,andneocolonialisminImboloMbue'secocriticalnovel,HowBeautifulWeWere.MbueplungesthereaderinthemiddleofwhatLaMarrJurelleBruceterms"psychosocial"madness,havocperpetuatedbyanAfricandictator,HisExcellency,whoisalsoastoogeofanAmericanoilcompanycalledPexton.TheplotunfoldsinthevillageofKosawa,locatedinanunnamed,fictionalAfricancountry.Mbue'scharactersputatimerontheWest'simpunity,attackingitbyanymeansnecessary,thusinspiringanhonestlybrutaldiscussionaboutthedifficultandoften-timesdeadlyroutestothebeautyoftruefreedom.HowBeautifulWeWerebeginswithdisruptivepsychosocialmadnessatanindividuallevel,aninterventioneventuallyundercutbyatransitiontoacollective,albeitelitistresistantmovementwhichprivilegesbothnegotiatedandviolentsolutions.Theindividualisticresistancemovementtowardsocialchange,ledbyKonga,the"villagemadman,"laysthefoundationforanationwidepopularstruggletowardsocialjusticeledbyawoman,Thula,whoispredictablydiscountedas"fickle"andunwomanlybythepatriarchalcommunitythatsabotagesherimportantinterventions.
- Subjects
IMPERIALISM; NEOCOLONIALISM; SOCIAL justice; SOCIAL change; DIALECTIC
- Publication
Research in African Literatures, 2024, Vol 54, Issue 4, p76
- ISSN
0034-5210
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2979/ral.00027