La Banalité De L'exclusion. Autopsie in Vivo De Quelques Romans
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LA BANALITÉ DE L’EXCLUSION. AUTOPSIE IN VIVO DE QUELQUES ROMANS D’AUTEURES CARIBÉENNES ET SUBSAHARIENNES (CONDÉ, MUKASONGA, DANTICAT ET MIANO) by SANDRA SIMONE MEFOUDE OBIONO A DISSERTATION Presented to the Department of Romance Languages and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 2016 DISSERTATION APPROVAL PAGE Student: Sandra Simone Mefoude Obiono Title: La Banalité de l’Exclusion. Autopsie in vivo de quelques Romans d’Auteures Caribéennes et Subsahariennes (Condé, Mukasonga, Danticat et Miano) This dissertation has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the Department of Romance Languages by: Karen McPherson Chairperson Fabienne Moore Core Member Lanie Millar Core Member Michael Allan Institutional Representative and Scott L. Pratt Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded June 2016 ii © 2016 Sandra Simone Mefoude Obiono iii DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Sandra Simone Mefoude Obiono Doctor of Philosophy Department of Romance Languages June 2016 Title: La banalité de l’exclusion. Autopsie in vivo de quelques romans d’auteures caribéennes et subsahariennes (Condé, Mukasonga, Danticat et Miano). “La banalité de l’exclusion. Autopsie in vivo de quelques romans d’auteures caribéennes et subsahariennes (Condé, Mukasonga, Danticat et Miano)” examines the complex logics examines the complex logics of social exclusion and connects writings from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, two sites often treated separately in the domain of Francophone studies. Precisely, this dissertation addresses how exclusion unfolds in these postcolonial societies—with migration, exile, and globalization echoed in the literary texts that I read. My argument is that our understanding of social exclusion and violence in these societies still draws solely from homogenizing development theories that originate outside of them. Re-theorizing social exclusion, I show in my work how these texts portray acts of social exclusion and violence through such insidious categories as geography, origins and lineage, as well as personal history, and local traditions and practices, that contribute to the making of misfits and outcasts, and yet remain overlooked in most attempts to address social exclusion in these specific locations. In navigating these relationships between social situations and literary form, I engage with psychology, social theory, and also physiology as I resort to autophagy iv (from the Greek “auto” meaning self and “phagy” meaning eating), a physiological process in the body that destroys cells to analogically demonstrate that by nurturing destructive behaviors these societies jeopardize chances to reach national cohesion and therefore contribute to their own destruction. The various chapters analyze texts by women writers: French Guadeloupian Maryse Condé, Haitian-American Edwidge Danticat, Rwandan French Scholastique Mukasonga, and Cameroonian French Léonora Miano. Self-critical agents of their communities, their act of bearing witness to these disruptions from a decentered position becomes highly problematic specifically for Danticat and Miano, as their legitimacy is challenged by resisting readers from their countries of origin who see their hyphenated selves as outsiders and traitors. But, hardly discouraged, these authors demonstrate the need for a renewed social response in writing that is provocative, with a rhetoric that resists the obsolete framing of fault and responsibility as always the Other’s. The dissertation is written in French. v CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Sandra Simone Mefoude Obiono GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA Université de Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon DEGREES AWARDED: Doctor of Philosophy, Romance Languages, 2016, University of Oregon Master of Arts, French, 2009, University of Oregon Maîtrise ès Lettres in Francophone Literature, 1998, Université de Yaoundé I Licence ès Lettres in Lettres Modernes Françaises, 1995, Université de Yaoundé I AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Francophone Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Literatures, Women Writings, Social Exclusion Studies, Postcolonial Theory, Migration Studies, Memory and History, Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin-American Diasporas’ heritage and cultures, Women of color feminisms, Grassroots knowledge, Film Studies, Black France. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Graduate Teaching Fellow, Department of Romance Languages, University of Oregon, 2007-2016. French Teacher, Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy, Summer 2011, Summer 2015. Teaching Assistant, Université de Yaoundé I, 2002-2005. GRANTS, AWARDS, AND HONORS: Kenneth S. Ghent Scholarship, Office of international Affairs, University of Oregon, 2014. Nicolette B. Weicker Memorial Scholarship, Department of Romance Languages, University of Oregon, 2014. vi Gary E. Smith Summer Professional Development Award, Graduate School, University of Oregon, 2013. Beall Graduate Dissertation Scholarship, Department of Romance Languages, University of Oregon, 2012. John Haines African Student Scholarship, Office of International Affairs, University of Oregon, 2011. James T. and Mary Alice Wetzel Graduate Fellowship, Department of Romance Languages, University of Oregon, 2011, 2010. Bakony Professional Development Grant, Yamada Language Center, Department of Romance Languages, University of Oregon, 2010. Dr & Mrs Dapo Popoola African Scholarship, Office of International Affairs, University of Oregon, 2010, 2009. Graduate School Award, Department of Romance Languages, University of Oregon, 2009. Beall Graduate Scholarship, Department of Romance Languages, University of Oregon, 2008. P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship, P.E.O. International, 2008. Beall Graduate Scholarship, Department of Romance Languages, University of Oregon, 2008. Université de Yaoundé I scholar, 2000. PUBLICATIONS: Mefoude, Sandra, Catherine Nesci, trans. “Liszt ou le ‘prêtre lyrique’. Sand, Baudelaire, Mallarmé” by Evlyn Gould, in Écriture, performance et théâtralité dans l’œuvre de George Sand. Olivier Bara, Catherine Nesci, eds. Grenoble: Ellug, 2014. vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Writing this dissertation has been a long journey and it is almost impossible to recognize everyone who had helped me in one form or the other in this process. Nonetheless, there are some people without whom I could not have made it to this stage, and to whom I would like to offer my sincere and heartfelt thanks. I am indebted to my advisor, Professor Karen McPherson, for her guidance and incredible encouragement throughout this intellectual adventure. Her valuable direction, insightful comments and constructive criticisms at different steps of my research have been a source of constant growth and improvement. In addition, very special thanks are due to Professor Fabienne Moore whose selfless time and care kept me going. Not only did she show interest in my work—which is outside of her area of expertise—she also carefully read, and provided pertinent comments and suggestions that improved the overall quality of this manuscript. My sincere appreciation also goes to Professors Michael Allan and Lanie Millar for their provocative questions, perspicacious advice and assistance in sorting out key concepts at different stages of this project. I am also grateful to the Graduate School, the Department of Romance Languages, and the Office of International Affairs for the very much needed scholarships, grants and fellowships they provided throughout the completion of this work. Many thanks to the Department of Romance Languages’ faculty and staff (past and current) and to the Yamada Language Center for the various forms of support since the beginning of my graduate studies at the University of Oregon. To my friends, peers and relatives who offered support, love, words of encouragement and interest in the development of my ideas, and helped me stay sane viii during the tedious days of writing this manuscript: Alexandra Slav, Patrick Moneyang, Aara Zweifel, Doralba Pérez Ibañez, Anthony Tribit, Father Emile-Désiré Mefoude sdb., Clémentine Yambia, Antoinette Obiono, Evgeniya Lukinova, Meian Chen, many thanks! Special thanks to Ana-Maria M’Enesti for always being there; for listening, encouraging, cheering me up, and most of all, for investing countless hours kindly reading my work despite her family responsibilities. To my family, I express my profound gratitude for their unconditional love and support, for their prayers, sacrifices and utter belief in me, regardless of the self- alienation that resulted from pursuing my goals. Ultimately, I thank God for his loving companionship all along this journey. ix To my parents, Emile and Brigitte Mefoude, who gave generously of their love and support even when they did not understand my choices. x TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 Survivance de l’exclusion dans l’espace et dans le temps en post-colonie ........... 1 Y a-t-il une banalité dans l’exclusion? .................................................................. 12 Sous le signe du jeune personnage féminin ........................................................... 16 Passerelles géographiques et linguistiques ............................................................ 18 Les auteures et leur critique ..................................................................................