Author: Casimir Houenon
Department: Dept. of Linguistics, Foreign and Nigerian Languages, NOUN, Abuja
Date: 16/06/2025
African authors are increasingly turning the barrel of their guns on the African man who is said to have been freed from the burden of colonization, to kill the effects of mimicry that prevents him from realizing his potential. As a result, the post-independence generation breaks its inferiority complex and takes advantage of the syncretism between African tradition, which is its strength, and the European knowledge it wishes to acquire. This is the background to Henri Lopes' text “Ah Apolline!”, taken from his collection of short stories Tribaliques. The aim of this study is to show, through a hermeneutic analysis, how the means employed by Lopes have actually contributed to revealing not only this message, but also its symbolism and scope. To achieve this, the analysis is based on the theory of hermeneutics, which asserts that the mystery of any text can only be unravelled through its interpretation. Interpretation is therefore the key that opened the door to understanding Lopes' text. As a result, the analysis shows that Samba represents the Africa of carefree enjoyment, and Raphael, another Africa turned towards modernism and the realization of the destiny of the black man, which can only be achieved through hard work and seriousness, and without the negative influence of the environment. The analysis also reveals that good and evil are never constant, and that everything can change according to circumstances. Keywords: Determinism, influence, environment, studies, rhythm.
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