AN EXPLORATION OF SLAVERY, COLONIALISM AND CULTURAL IDENTITY IN BIYI BÁNDÉLÉ’S YORÙBÁ BOY RUNNING

Abstract

The misconception of Africa as a continent with no civilization prior to European contact and isolated from the rest of the world is often seen in western literature. It is seen as primitive, and slavery and colonialism were the only significant interaction between Africa and the outside world that brought civilization to Africa. However, findings show that Africa was civilized before the arrival of the Europeans and, the dehumanizing effects of the transatlantic slave trade led to African Holocaust. The study also observes the manipulation of religion as a tool for colonial control, and the internalized racism within the church. This research critiques the portrayal of African leaders as complicit in their own subjugation and examines the gendered subjugation of women, juxtaposed with moments of resistance and agency.

This study employs Edward Said’s postcolonial theory to analyse Biyi Bándélé’s Yorùbá Boy Running (2024), exploring the intersections of slavery, colonialism, and cultural identity in 19th-century West Africa. The novel, through the life of Àjàyí Crowther, reveals the systemic oppression and cultural erasure perpetuated by European colonial powers and their African collaborators. Methodologically, the analysis draws on Said’s concepts of Orientalism and Cultural Imperialism to deconstruct the Eurocentric narratives embedded in the text, particularly the misrepresentation of African traditions and the imposition of Western ideologies. This research concludes that while the novel exposes the brutal realities of slavery and colonialism, it also underscores the resilience and agency of African individuals and communities in resisting cultural erasure. Ultimately, the study calls for a re-centring of African voices and epistemologies in postcolonial literature to challenge the enduring legacies of slavery and colonialism.