Betrayal of Independence: Class Struggle and Social Transformation in Francophone African Novels

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the themes of class struggle and social transformation in selected Francophone African novels, focusing on the persistence of neo-colonialism and the betrayal of independence. Using Marxist and postcolonial theories, particularly the works of Karl Marx, Antonio Gramsci, Frantz Fanon, the study analyzes how African leaders perpetuate colonial structures under the guise of independence. Through an exploration of novels such as L’Anté-Peuple by Sony Labou Tansi, En attendant le vote des bêtes sauvages by Ahmadou Kourouma, Les petits-fils nègres de Vercingétorix by Alain Mabanckou, and Les vertiges du trône by Patrick Ilboudo, this paper highlights literature‘s critique of post-independence disillusionment, the continued exploitation of African resources, and the role of African elites in sustaining foreign interests. The study further discusses the gendered dimensions of postcolonial oppression, as well as the resistance and power struggles that define contemporary African societies. This paper argues that literature serves as a site of resistance and intellectual contestation against the enduring structures of economic and political domination.