The Dialectics of Spaces and Power in John Nkemngong Nkengasong’s Across the Mongolo and The Widow’s Might

Abstract

This article, seeks to examine the dialectics of spaces and power in John Nkemngong Nkengasong’s Across the Mongolo and The Widow’s Might and their impact on the lives of the characters and the society. Characterisation in literary works usually focuses on what the characters think, say, do, or act, and from their description by the narrator or other characters in the texts. This study proposes that the interaction of characters in varied spaces play a vital role in their perception of the world and their formation or transformation. The Spatial Literary Theory as propounded by Robert T.Tally Jr and the New Historicism and Cultural Materialism as critical approaches by Stephen Greenblatt will be employed in the interpretation of the chosen texts. Michel Foucault’s conceptual framework on the omnipresence of power and its objectivity in establishing and maintaining norms in society will equally be used in this study.