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From lived spaces to literary spaces: the figure of the child soldier in contemporary African literature

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 10:24 authored by Simoes da Silva, T
This article examines how fictional representations of civil conflict and its consequences enable contemporary African writers to capture the raft of ways in which war remains a troubling agent within the national body. This is especially relevant in the context of postcolonial societies living the traumatic aftermath of decolonization and liberation wars. Focusing on the figure of the ‘child soldier’ as an emblem of the experience of displacement as engendered by Civil war in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half a Yellow Sun (2006) and Chris Abani’s Song for Night (2007), I argue that the figure of a child soldier qua displaced individual brings into relief a polemic and politically explosive commentary on the state of nationalism, statehood and citizenship in postcolonial, post-independence Africa.

History

Publication title

African Geographical Review

Volume

37

Pagination

109-119

ISSN

1937-6812

Department/School

School of Humanities

Publisher

Routledge

Place of publication

United Kingdom

Rights statement

Copyright 2017 The African Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Literature

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