Silence and Silencing in Selected African Novels: Power Dynamics and Transformative Voices

Through literary analysis, this book examines how African writers address silence and oppression in novels and poetry.

Silence and Silencing in Selected African Novels: Power Dynamics and Transformative Voices by Oumar Chérif Diop explores representations of rhetorical, sociocultural, and gendered silence and silencing within selected African literature. He examines how African writers deconstruct normative discourses and use aesthetic forms and narrative techniques to confront silencing systems. Within these literary works, characters express their thoughts, emotions, fears, anxieties, and protest through their silence. Through textual analysis, Diop explores the spaces where silence and silencing occur and how they highlight power dynamics and enforce oppressive structures. These texts also reveal the transformative potential of silence to illustrate the resilience of marginalized characters and their inspiring struggle against the censoring mechanisms of repressive institutions. Breaking the silence becomes an act of reclaiming agency and challenging oppressive forces. Diop shows how the importance of voice in the struggle for justice and the potential for individual actions inspires broader movements for change.

Oumar Chérif Diop is professor in the English department at Kennesaw State University, USA.