The Way of the Spirit
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9250650 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bill Hemminger (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2001 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 66-82 |
| Publication date | 2001-03-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Research in African Literatures (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0034-5210 • E-ISSN: 1527-2044 |
| Publisher | Indiana University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.2979/ral.2001.32.1.66 |
| OpenAlex | W2140911160 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 9 |
Ben Okri's 1991 novel The Famished Road opens with an announcement of birth of an abiku, a spirit-child. This abiku child, Azaro, becomes narrator of novel; he announces immediately that he is reluctant to remain in of because of the rigors of existence, unfulfilled longings, enshrined injustices of world [and] amazing indifference of Living in midst of sim? ple beauties ofthe universe (3). Yet he persists and novel becomes story of his persistence and accommodation?making a place for himself in ghetto community of an unnamed tropical town while fighting off spirit forces that lure him back to relative safety of spirit world apart from human suffering. The story of abiku child is continued in Okri's succeeding novel, Songs of Enchantment. Azaro has made a commitment to stay with parents he loves but finds that life in physical world can be painful and fearsome. In course of novel child becomes ill for lack of dreams
Genealogy · History · Postcolonial and Cultural Literary Studies
| Citations per year | 0.17 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2008 - 2017 (10) |
| Highly cited | No |