The Representation of Child Soldiers in Contemporary African Fiction

Abstract

In the context of international concern about the exploitation of children for military purposes, this study explores the representation of African child soldiers in five contemporary novels by writers from Africa: Johnny Mad Dog ([2002)2005) by Emmanuel Dongala; Allah Is Not Obliged ([2000)2006) by Ahmadou Kourouma; Beasts of No Nation (2006) by Uzondinma lweala; Half of a Yellow Sun (2007) by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; and Song for Night (2007) by Chris Abani. Sociological and autobiographical accounts of actual child soldiers' lives are offered as a com­parative basis for discussing their fictional counterparts' experiences, and in order to highlight the unique insights offered by the fiction. Overlapping foci of attention for both the actual and the fictional cases are: notions of childhood in Africa in relation to the child soldiers' particular political situations; the ways in which they became involved in war; the degree of moral corruption in the children and how far this affects their militia relationships; how they cope with their ordeals; what signs of humane impulses remain; to what extent rehabilitation for the children is possible; and to what extent they come to understand the implications of their experiences. More specific foci for the fictional explorations are: the forms of narration and language devices employed by the novelists; to what extent memories of the child soldiers' past provide a contrast to their war experience; how far such memories help in rehabilitation; and devices or strategies used as reminders of the outside world, or to convey less conscious experience.

Opsomming

Opsomming
In die konteks van internasionale besorgdheid oor die uitbuiting van kinders vir militere doeleindes, ondersoek hierdie studie die voorstelling van Afrika se kinder­soldate in vyf kontemporere novelles van skrywers uit Afrika: Johnny Mad Dog ([2002)2005) deur Emmanuel Dongala; Allah Is Not Obliged ([2000)2006) deur Ahmadou Kourouma; Beasts of No Nation (2006) deur Uzondinma lweala; Half of a Yellow Sun (2007) deur Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; en Song for Night (2007) deur Chris Abani. Sosiologiese sowel as autobiografiese beskrywings van die werklike lewens van kindersoldate word aangebied as die basis vir 'n vergelyking met die ervarings van hulle fiktiewe/fiksionele ewekniee en ook om die eiesoortige insigte van die fiksie uit te lig. Oorvleulende fokuspunte vir die reele en fiktiewe werklikhede is: die opvattings oor kindwees in Afrika in vergelyking met die kindersoldate se besondere politiese situasies; die maniere waarop hulle by oorlog betrek word; die graad van morele verderf van die kinders sowel as in hoeverre dit hulle verhoudings in die burgermagte be'invloed; hoe hulle hulle ontberinge die hoof bied; die tekens van menswaardigheid wat by hulle oorbly; tot watter mate rehabilitasie vir die kinders moontlik is; en ook tot watter mate hulle bewus word van die gevolge van hulle ervarings. Die spesifieke fokus vir die fiktiewe ervarings is: die vorms van ver­telling en die taalmiddels wat aangewend word deur die outeurs; die herinneringe van die kindersoldate se verlede en hoe dit kontrasteer met hulle belewing van die oorlog; tot watter mate hierdie herrinneringe help met rehabilitasie; en middels en strategiee wat dien as herinneringe aan die buitewereld of om minder bewustelike ervarings oor te dra.