Folie et identite feminine postcoloniale dans La folie et la mort de Ken Bugul

Abstract

In this article, I explore the question of madness and feminism as presented by Ken Bugul in La folie et la mort (2000). Madness in this novel is firstly analysed as a socio-political crisis caused by, among other things, bad governance and secondly, as a metaphor for women’s emancipation. I examine the representation of the characters and how the author links their daily experiences to the negotiation of their identity. I draw on critical references from feminism and about madness to demonstrate that the forms of alienation experienced in Africa after independence are a direct consequence of the political systems put in place. They can therefore be compared to madness, which is not only an evil, but can also be a solution, a revolt that unfolds through the writings of African feminists.