Nationhood in Dramaturgy: Marginality and Commitment in Victor Epie Ngome’s “What God has Put Asunder”

By Bate Besong

Abstract of a BB article in the critical anthology, "Figures de l’histoire et imaginaire au Cameroun" a co-publication of the Universities of Buea and Franche - Comté of Besançon, France, which will be published in early 2005

V. E. Ngome’s What God Has Put Asunder (1992) can be considered as a successful attempt at producing valuable information about Cameroonian society and, also helping to bring about change since it records the history of the colonial, imperialist intervention on the individual psyche and society at large.

The vision that is created in the drama is one which given the objective situation in Cameroon, the playwright concludes that dialogue between the neo-colonial leadership of the Gaullist, Miché Garba and his archetypal heroine, Weka, is impossible.  Appeals to the conscience are in this context misplaced and misdirected.  The neo-colonial ogre does not function to reconcile but to polarise.  Francophone Cameroon is directed from France. Anglophone Cameroon therefore suffers a double exploitation from Francophone Cameroon and France.

What God Has Put Asunder demonstrates a vision that it is impossible to achieve cultural de-colonization in an atmosphere of neo-colonial and imperialist tutelage.  It is only logical that the evolving relationship between the dramatist and his audience and the very nature of creativity be inevitably seen to be selective and unabashedly dialectical.  The contention of this paper is that V.E. Ngome’s overt or implied statement about Cameroon Re-Unification can be considered as being both representative and prophetic.  Georg Lukacs, the Hungarian Marxist dialectician, stressed literatures reflection, conscious or unconscious of the social reality surrounding it.  This is the angle this paper has taken.

FIVE (5) KEYWORDS

1.     Nationhood

2. Marginality

3. Commitment

4. De-Colonizatoin

5. Dialectical

Comments

[ngo bassong adele]

Dr Bate Bessong.I find your comments on anglophone drama extremely edifying.I am a final year student in English and French in the University of Buea and I'm working on cameroonian drama of english and french expression.Try as I might I have not found such a document in your website.Is it that i do not search well or you do not consider such a compartive study of any importance?
thank you for your response.
yours faithfully,
ngo bassong

[yongrene]

Dr Bate Besong,from your comments,one tends to see that one is supposed to fight for his rights if he is actually justified,can you therefore kindly give your own opinion towards the reaction of the students who were supposely striking for what they thought was right for them?Many people are accusing the students but as a critic you can best see into this and give your opinion.
Thanks...

[frank]

Perhaps actions speak louder than words here. According to second hand reports, Dr Bate Besong was teargassed along with others for protesting police brutality.

[Victor]

Our land is rotten and stinky.
The repression of a minority,
Who soar beyond all odds.
Academically,Economically,
Politically,within and without the frontiers.
Yet,heavy hands keep striking them.
The grain will grow,even in undue conditions.
It's so hard to cover a shinning light.
The sun can never be stopped from shinning.
One thing they ought to know,is join us.
Let's sing songs of change,progress,and development.
In our land of promise and glory,that God gave us.

[wiylilaka lucella bongfen]

Hello Dr. Bate Besong,
I was a student at the University of Buea studying English.I am now in Germany at the University of Bayreuth.I am about to start a write up on my thesis ant the topic is, POLITICAL SATIRE IN ANGLOPHNE CAMEROON DRAMA,a case study of Bate Besongs BEAST OF NO NATION.I therefore need your help because i have problems understanding some concepts in your work.Also could you analyse the play as a political satire on the Cameroonian government?
I hope to read from you.
Your student,
Wiylilaka Bongfen