O universo de Orïsha: as representações da violência em Children of blood and bone, de Tomi Adeyemi

Abstract

Children of Blood and Bone (2018a) is a fantasy fiction novel set in West Africa, specifically in Nigeria, the homeland of the ancestral origins of the Afro-American author Tomi Adeyemi. The narrative begins with a violent event known as the Raid, where the Maji population is massacred. The primary aim of this dissertation is to analyze the representations of violence in the novel and examine how symbols portray enslaved people, all while reclaiming Afro identity within the fantastical realm of Orïsha. To achieve this, we will explore the following questions: What constitutes the aesthetic composition of the novel, and which symbolic elements are utilized in crafting the fantastical world of Orïsha? How are different forms of violence depicted? In what ways does violence, as the ultimate expression of power, contribute to the erasure of Yoruba culture in Orïsha, and how is resistance depicted in Children of Blood and Bone? This qualitative bibliographic research draws on theoretical perspectives from Benjamin (2013) on the origins and establishment of violence, Butler (2021) on non-violence as a means of resistance and the right to grieve, Dorlin (2020) regarding self-defense as a mechanism for protecting marginalized groups, Lambert (2001), and Falola and Heaton (2008), who discuss violence in Nigeria. Additional insights from Bakhtin (1998), Oliveira and Waechter (2021) focus on the novel's aesthetics, while Chevalier and Gheerbrant (2022) help identify symbolic artifacts within the story. The characters representing divine beings endure psychological, physical, and symbolic violence; they are oppressed similarly to enslaved individuals, devoid of any rights to self-defense, mourning, or autonomy. Consequently, the novel transcends mere fantasy fiction, posing profound social questions. The violence inflicted upon the divine characters raises issues related to racism, religious intolerance toward African-origin religions, class disparity, and power dynamics prevalent in an unequal society.