Figures of subjectivity in Captive, an autofictional novel by Nadine Ndjomo

Abstract

Autofiction, as a literary genre, emerged from the pen of French writer Serge Doubrovsky towards the end of the 1970s. This genre, which manifested in France as a powerful form of expression that defies the boundaries between reality and fiction, is notably illustrated by the works of Annie Ernaux, Christine Angot, Philippe Forest, and Camille Laurens. This literary phenomenon continues to develop within the African literary space. In this article, I analyse the novel Captive (2024) by Cameroonian author Nadine Ndjomo. I demonstrate how subjectivity illuminates identity conflicts in the African context, characterized by culturally specific morals and practices. I also examine the ways in which the narrator explores the self and the narrative strategies employed in this quest for identity. Drawing on the theoretical postulates of Mieke Bal regarding focalization, I analyse the modes of authorial presence, the consequences of self-representation for narrative authenticity, and how these elements reflect collective identity. Additionally, I explore narrative techniques, notably voice and narrative instances, the fluidity of temporality and generic perspectives, and, finally, the effects of narrative fragmentation as a means of highlighting the complexity of identity pursued by the narrator.