Un crocodile peut en cacher un autre. Mohamed Mbougar Sarr lecteur de Paul Lomami Tshibamba

What is it about?

This article explores the intertextual connections between Mohamed Mbougar Sarr’s La plus secrète Mémoire des hommes and Paul Lomami Tshibamba’s Ngando, though with a playful twist: there is no certainty that Sarr ever actually read Tshibamba’s work. This uncertainty becomes a humorous undercurrent throughout the analysis, which unravels complex intertextualities while acknowledging the speculative nature of these literary connections. The chapter employs a method of intertextual analysis, yet it simultaneously plays with the notion of literary influence, subtly questioning the authenticity of the connections it reveals. This approach highlights the creative license within academic interpretations, as well as the amusing idea that works of literature communicate with each other, regardless of whether their authors are aware of it. Through this, the article balances humour and serious scholarship, situating the crocodile as a symbol not only of African myth and tradition but also of the unpredictable paths of literary history. Aimed at scholars of Francophone African literature and postcolonial studies, this chapter provides fresh perspectives on the nature of literary rewriting, underscored by a humorous reflection on intertextuality and influence.

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Photo by Imran Creator on Unsplash

Photo by Imran Creator on Unsplash