Xala (Masterplots II: World Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Ousmane Sembène
- First Published: 1973
- Type of Work: Satire
- Time of Work: The early 1970’s
- Setting: Dakar, the capital city of Senegal
- Principal Characters: Abdou Kader Beyè (el Hadji), Adja Awa Astou, Oumi N’Doye, N’Gone, Yay Bineta, Rama
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism, Satire
- Subjects: Culture, Freedom, 1970’s, Africa or Africans, Folkloric or magical people, Class conflict, Supernatural, Polygamy or bigamy, Revenge, Senegal or Senegalese people, Business or business people, Witches or witchcraft, Begging or beggars
- Locales: Dakar, Senegal
The Novel
Xala narrates several weeks in the life of an African businessman, Abdou Kader Beyè, called “El Hadji.” The brief novel traces his rapid decline from affluence to total humiliation and ruin.
As the novel begins, El Hadji is at the peak of his career, a rich man respected and even envied by his fellow businessmen. He is about to be married to his third wife, N’Gone, a pretty young woman who has flattered him with her attentions. Taking a third wife marks him as a “captain,” a leader in West African culture, in which a man’s success...
[The entire page is 2188 words long]
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