La pluralité de figure de l’émigré dans Le Ventre de l’Atlantique de Fatou DIOME

Abstract

In contemporary African literature, the figure of the emigrant occupies a central place, reflecting the complex realities of migration. African writers, through their works, explore the multiple dimensions of emigration—whether it is the dream of elsewhere, the escape from local violence, the tearing apart of identity, or the experience of marginalisation in the host country. Each facet of emigration is revealed through the challenges, hopes, and disillusionments of the characters, while also offering a subtle critique of both African and Western societies. African novelists portray characters who are fascinated by the idea of elsewhere, dreaming of a better life in the West or beyond, only to be confronted with the harsh realities of immigration. The refugee, by contrast, flees the violence and conflicts of their homeland in search of safety and security, only to find that exile brings its own uncertainty and loss. These characters are often torn between two identities—that of their home country and that of the host country—unable to fully integrate into either. Finally, some emigrants become marginalised, excluded from the host society, living on its fringes and suffering from a profound sense of alienation. This article examines in detail these four major representations of the emigrant in Le Ventre de l’Atlantique by Fatou Diome.