The war veteran in Jean-Pierre Guingané’s drama: between social activism and intellectualism

Abstract

This paper looks at how Francophone literature and art in general have reflected the subject of the war veteran. It focuses on Jean Pierre Guingané, a Burkinabè playwright and theatre director, and argues that he has used the war veteran in two chief directions following his classification of drama in two categories: development (or social action) drama and intellectual drama. Fundamentally, the war veteran plays the same role of social critic and agent of social change in these two types of drama. Yet, in each of them, Guingané gives the war veteran a peculiar treatment that perfectly tallies with the dramaturgy of the category of plays concerned. In his social action drama, the war veteran is an illiterate and comic character, who, through spectacle and humour, drives home the playwright’s social development message. In his elite drama, this is achieved through a loftier approach in compliance with the target audience.