‘Othered Bodies’: Interrogating Disability in the African Novel

Abstract

In recent times, there has been a growing interest in the study of how disabled characters are represented in African literature. This is partly inspired by the call for researchers and scholars to present the African perspective on the ongoing disability discourse which hitherto, was considered to be dominated by Western thoughts and ideas. In this research, I examine the representation of disabled characters in The Last Duty by Isidore Okpewho, The Beggars Strike by Aminata Sow Fall, Silence is My Mother Tongue by Sulaiman Addonia and The Book of Memory by Petinah Gappah. All these literary texts are novels by African writers and they involve the representation of characters who are disabled. By situating my discussions within disability studies, I examine how these characters are ‘othered’ by their respective societies as a result of their perceived body differences. I offer the hybrid interpretative framework as a viable way of reading the selected texts. This approach involves applying relevant perspectives on disability studies as they have developed over the years through a close reading of the texts while maintaining an eye on what may be described as ‘African’ as far as issues pertaining to disability representation is concerned. This study shows that characters whose bodies do not meet the societal perception of the ideal body are ‘othered’ based on their body difference. This therefore makes them victims of labelling, stigmatisation, stereotyping and marginalisation. In this regard, cultural and religious beliefs play a critical role in how bodies are perceived and treated in these societies. Again, this research shows that the intersection between sex and disability is at the core of the texts understudied. Even though the disabled characters are initially denied participation in the sexual activities in their societies, they find ways to fight for inclusion. I conclude that in their quest to present a realistic presentation of the disabled in their texts, the selected authors risk being accused of presenting mainly negative narratives about the disabled characters.