Postcolonial Transformations: the Forest in Ben Okri’s The Famished Road

Nicoletta Brazzelli (Università di Milano)

Abstract

In The Famished Road (1991) Ben Okri rappresenta gli effetti controversi della decolonizzazione in Nigeria, rivelando le conseguenze devastanti delle innovazioni tecnologiche sui paesaggi naturali del paese. Attraverso i movimenti e le percezioni di Azaro, uno spirito-bambino, Okri indugia sulla spietata opera di deforestazione condotta dalle potenze occidentali e mette in evidenza l’incapacità della nazione di ristabilire un’armonia sostenibile con l’ambiente. The Famished Road sottolinea anche i legami ancestrali della foresta con il folklore e l’immaginario Yoruba. Nel romanzo di Okri la distruzione della foresta costituisce l’emblema dell’impoverimento progressivo delle risorse naturali e della vita spirituale della Nigeria postcoloniale.

DOI: 10.17456/SIMPLE-63

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