Child’s Narration of War as Depicted in Ahmadou Kourouma’s “allah Is Not Obliged

Abstract

Childhood is normally treated as a period of crucial values in ones stage of growth. Maintaining these values in children helps to preserve the future generation’s societal aspirations. However during times of war, there are different forms of violations children are exposed to. This study unearths these violations and vulnerability as narrated by the child himself in Kourouma’s text Allah is Not Obliged and goes further to show how through narration in fictional texts children are able to call for our attention. The study has used theoretical framework such as; new historicism, sociological literary theory and stylistics theory. New historicism theory helped to explain how history itself has been re-told since this is a historical text. Sociological literary theory casts light on how social situations have pushed children into war and in turn the impact on the society. The literary feature of style has been explored using the stylistic theory. The study followed a close textual analysis approach of the primary text Allah is Not Obliged. I also read the author’s other works in order to establish his general world view. Creative works by other writers and critics on the same topic were also read so as to illuminate on the study. The investigation has brought into focus, the various violations meted out to children during times of war. This has a lasting traumatic effect on them. By the author using a child narrator who is a victim and witness of war he accords him room to put forward his own experience. Thus, the use of children in war disregards childhood as a space characterized by innocence. Kourouma in his own way uses literature to reveal to the world the plight of such children in Africa.