Literatura africana queer: uma análise do mascaramento da sexualidade na obra "Vagabonds!" de Eloghosa Osunde

Abstract

This paper explores the masking of sexuality in Eloghosa Osunde's work Vagabonds!, set in Lagos, Nigeria, where sexual diversity is criminalized. The narrative addresses the strategies employed by LGBTQIA+ characters to conceal their true identities in a hostile environment. Using a qualitative and analytical approach grounded in the theories of Mikhail Bakhtin, the study examines how masking is represented in the work and how the narrator expresses the duality of identities, articulating the tension between personal identity and social acceptance. The methodology includes the analysis of selected excerpts from the book, focusing on the relationship between content, form, and material, as per Bakhtin's theories (2002). The analysis reveals that the masking (concealing one’s identity) is not only a literary theme, but also a metaphor symbolized by the "masks" worn by the characters, representing the tension and contradiction inherent in the lives of LGBTQIA+ people in a society that oppresses and criminalizes them. This study concludes that Vagabonds! offers an incisive critique of the sociocultural conditions in Nigeria, highlighting the importance of literary works that address the challenges faced by marginalized communities in repressive contexts.