THE TRAUMA OF HUMAN DISPLACEMENT IN MARYSE CONDE’S TRAVERSÉE DE LA MANGROVE (CROSSING THE MANGROVE)

Abstract

Human displacement is the forced movement of people from their homes and native environment into a completely new abode and culture. It is an unforeseen relocation that is often provoked by slavery, colonialism, natural disasters, inter-ethnic war, epidemics and technological motive and which is largely characterised by psychological consequences. It is against the foregoing that this study investigates the causes of human displacement and the attendant trauma of the unscheduled voyage of unknown destination in Maryse Condé’s Traversée de la mangrove. This study adopts an aspect of Freud psychoanalytical theory: id, ego and superego in understanding the trauma caused by the manner in which people of lighter complexion treat and dehumanise the Negroes in Condé’s Traversée de la mangrove. The methodology adopted in this article is content analysis which is a detailed and relatively objective examination of the structure, style, imagery and other aspects of a literary work. Several instances of human displacement, xenophobia, trauma, discrimination are discussed in the study. The paper concludes by noting that the trauma of human displacement is real given the psychological challenges faced by migrants in their new environment. The text also provokes interminable literary discourse because the end seems like the beginning of an unending literary puzzle.