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Small Country by Gael Faye Essay
LITERATURE: HOW AND WHY? (ELL1013F)
University of Cape Town
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In the novel by Small Country by Gael Faye a unique perspective is provided on the Rwandan genocide. The novel explores the experience of the child narrator, Gaby witnessing this genocide that inevitably causes him to struggle with his own cultural identity while grappling with his survivors guilt. Gaby goes through a journey that can be described as one of a search for belonging and sense of self amid the chaos surrounding him. In this essay it will be discussed how Gaby witnessing the Rwandan genocide and how the foreignizing strategies, such as the use of Kinyarwanda, used throughout the novel creates authenticity in Gaby’s story and emphasises how an individual cultural heritage plays a huge role in them finding a sense of self. Gaby witnessing the brutalities committed against Rwandan family, friends, and neighbours, forces him to grow up abruptly “and I [feel] sorry for them and also for myself, for the purity that is ruined by all-consuming fear, which transforms everything into wickedness, hatred, and death” (Faye, chapter 29) and truly see the brutality of human nature “it felt strange to understand the soldier's innuendoes, the fear in Aunt Eusebie's gestures, the fear that had taken hold of Maman. A month earlier, I would [not] have grasped any of this” (Faye chapter 20). Throughout the novel it can be seen how Gaby’s experiences shine a light on the transformative power trauma may entail. By witnessing the Rwandan genocide Gaby’s view of the world changes. This causes him to question the injustices he witnesses and the lack of compassion amongst people. By witnessing these horrors and injustices such as the racism his Maman faces from the soldier “'hmm ... I do [not] think you [a]re a real Frenchie,' he said. I [ha]ve never seen a Frenchwoman with a nose like yours. And as for that neck ...”( Faye, chapter 20), and Gaby experiences growth by tackling his struggle with survivors guilt and the remaining effects of his trauma. Gaby’s narrative reinforces the idea of how memory and storytelling are an important aspect in shaping an individual’s identity. His recollection of what has occurred may be interpreted as him honouring those who have been lost in the genocide and this is his way of preserving their stories, and creating and making sense of his own place in this world. Gaby’s several flashbacks allow people to be able to go through his experiences with him and feel the emotions he is experiencing “in winter, I stare forlornly at the bare chestnut tree in the square below my block. In its place, I picture the mighty canopy of mango trees that kept my neighborhood cool. When I can’t sleep, I open a small wooden box hidden under my bed, and the scent of memories washes over me as I look at the fingers, of Tonton Alphonse and Pacifique, at that picture of me in a tree taken by Papa one New Year’s Day, the black-and- white beetle collected in the Kibira forest, Laure’s perfumed letters, the voting ballots from
the 1993 election that Ana and I found in the grass, a blood-stained identity card.. twist a braid of Maman’s hair around my fingers and I read the poem by Jacques Roumain that Madame Economopoulos gave me on the day of my departure” (Faye, chapter 31). This look back on his life highlights the hardships that Gaby is experiencing as his most of his life is wither contained in the small wooden box or a distinct memory. Gaby’s cultural heritage has a significant impact of his experience. Gaby has a dual heritage because his father is French, and his mother is Rwandan. This dual heritage causes him to experience the genocide differently than others. It causes him to lose his sense of belonging and grapple with his cultural identity. The Rwandan genocide alters Gaby’s life as it shatters his innocence causing him to lose his sense of belonging and grapple with his cultural identity. He struggles to integrate his upbringing as a French boy with his Rwandan heritage and the genocide brings this to the surface as it causes him to question his identity. Gaby questioning his identity due to his dual heritage provides authenticity to the novel thus providing a bigger emotional impact. Different foreignizing strategies are used in the novel to provide a sense of authenticity and emotional connection. Throughout the novel foreignizing strategies such as the use of Kinyarwanda are used in order to emphasise Gaby’s cultural identity and his struggle with connecting to his Rwandan heritage “its’s hardly surprising I show[ed] little interest in Rwanda, its monarchy, its cows, its mountains, its moons, its mil, its honey and its rotten mead” (Faye, chapter 20). The use of Kinyarwanda phrases and expression such as “mamie”, “maman” (Faye, chapter 20) throughout the narration of the novel creates authenticity in the story by highlighting Gaby’s inability to fully connect to his Rwandan culture “Mamie berated Maman for not speaking to us in Kinyarwanda. She believed that the language would allow us to hold unto our identity, despite living in exile, otherwise we would never become good Banyarwanda’s”( Faye, chapter 20). The phrases and expressions left untranslated allows the reader to mirror Gaby’s experience and emphasises the importance of his Rwandan heritage and the impact it has on his cultural identity crisis. Additionally, the frequent references Gaby makes to Rwandan customs, traditions and historical events while providing brief explanations of them act as a bridge between the reader and the unfamiliarity with the Rwandan culture, providing a deeper understanding of Gaby’s experiences. These foreignizing strategies provide a unique perspective of Gaby’s dual cultural identity and the complexities he is experiencing during the Rwandan genocide. It also provides an enhanced authenticity by allowing the reader to go through Gaby’s struggles with his Rwandan culture and his lack of understanding Kinyarwanda.
References
Faye, Gaël. Small Country. Hogarth, 5 June 2018.
Small Country by Gael Faye Essay
Course: LITERATURE: HOW AND WHY? (ELL1013F)
University: University of Cape Town
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