Abstract

This study analyses the Marxist discourse in Le mandat by Ousmane Sembène. It establishes a hidden antagonism between forces of contradiction, namely, modernity against tradition, centre against periphery, and ignorance against education. Indeed, Sembène Ousmane dissects the image of the emerging bourgeois class in postcolonial Africa through the misadventures of Ibrahima Dieng in the narration. The study analyzes the Marxist stance of the author through the use of characterization, space and language. It reveals that the style of contrast adopted by the author helps to dissect the Dakar society of his time. It also identifies the abuse of traditional values as one of the causes of exploitation in Le mandat. It concludes that the Marxist discourse by Ousmane Sembène is aimed at mending the cracks that dislocated postcolonial African societies while insisting that the much awaited change can only come about through a collection action.

Key words: Discourse, Marxism, bourgeoisie, proletariat, antagonism, modernism, tradition.