<p> The objective of this work is to present the identities of two traditional African societies: Agni and Bakongo. It is imperative to note that the initiation allegory and the initiation ritual practiced in traditional African society are the two methods of initiation used to analyze the respective identities of two characters: Prince Mélédouman in Jean-Marie Adiaffi's <i> La Carte d'identité</i> and King Mani Kongo in Mweze Ngangura's <i> Pièces d'identités</i>. Not only does this approach establish a study of these heroes, but also of their people. </p><p> Thus, the ancestral practices, and the cultural and religious values that Mélédouman discovers in his quest, are those that express his identity and that of his community. Additionally, the symbols that Mani Kongo wears bestow on him his identity and present his DNA. That is, it signals his belonging to his ethnic group. Moreover, the lived experiences of Prince Mélédouman and King Mani Kongo, in the course of their prospective initiation voyages, can be defined as an initiation allegory whereby the neophyte, Mélédouman, on one hand, goes to be reestablished in his rights and Mani Kongo, on the other hand, becomes convinced of the limits of his traditions. Likewise, the practice of the <i>Comian</i> illustrates a type of initiation ritual, which expresses a unique identifying value among the Agni people in the Ivory Coast. </p><p> This study aims to reconstruct and to revalorize the identity of two peoples. It is evident that the cultural symbols, values, and other ancestral practices are in the process of disappearing due, certainly, to the domination of Western values of which francophone African peoples are the victims. Finally, this particular identity, constructed through history, myths, practices, and belief, translates, as well as defines, the worldview of these two traditional francophone African societies.</p>
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:3622917 |
Date | 26 July 2014 |
Creators | Akohoue, Theodore |
Publisher | University of Louisiana at Lafayette |
Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
Language | French |
Detected Language | English |
Type | thesis |
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