The Importance of Solidarity in Marguerite Abouet’s Aya de Yopougon
Abstract
Solidarity is a human value that has acquired a fundamental role in many African cultures. Colonization and subsequent decolonization place citizenship in a state of transformation, between the ethics of origin (such as Ubuntu) and exported ideas. This metamorphosis forces to rethink the relationships between people. Solidarity does not escape controversy and can be felt as an obligation, a dependency or also the key to collective progress. Marguerite Abouet, author of Aya de Yopougon, chooses to deal with social problems with "légèreté" and humor, how does she approach neighborhood solidarity in an urban context? What is its weight in the lives of the characters living in Yopougon and how is it exercised? Is it altruistic help or imposition and dependence? This article aims to unveil the different types of solidarity found in the graphic novel Aya de Yopougon. Does belonging to the neighborhood represent a constraint to personal development? Or, on the contrary, does individual Bildungs need social Bildungs?
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