The Anglophone- Francophone Divide And A Third Space In John Nkemngong Nkengasong’s Across The Mongolo
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.81.9652Abstract
This paper presents a binary divide between the Anglophone and the Francophone sub systems in Kamangola as purported in John Nkengasong’s Across the Mongolo. The article attempts a deconstruction of the binary opposition of characters in the novel through third spacing. The aim is to envisage characters a third space to see how traumatic experiences could be averted. The Third Space theory as propounded by Homi Bhabha breaks down binary opposition between Anglophone and Francophone in the novel because third spaces provide therapeutic solutions to domination and in particular, questions and dismantles the Francophone structure. According to Bhabha, the third space denotes a resistance to binarism and predetermined identities. It is a liminal and intersection position that is fluid and shifting, where hegemony is redefined and negotiated. Therefore, the third space could be psychological, a venue, it could be a character and it can be gotten from the authorial point of view. The hypothesis therefore contends that if characters in Across the Mongolo, place themselves within the confines of the third space, they will certainly find a comfortable place for themselves in the society by negotiating and celebrating an in-between identity. Consequently, if they are not positioned in the overlapping circles of the third space, the effects would be traumatic.
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