User:Lilia999/sandbox

Here's the Aya article I found at the library: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=lkh&AN=88164892&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=gsu1. This source in addition to the article by Richard Oko Ajan (in the reading folder on i-college) can get us started on drafting sections on Background, Analysis, and Publication as well as adding citations to our Wiki article.

Background
Origin of Aya of Yop City

Marguerite Abouet was working as a legal assistant in Paris when she conceived the idea of Aya of Yop City. Frustrated with the limitations of the young adult fiction market, Abouet set out to do something different. During this time, she was inspired to create the series from her friends, who were encouraging her to write stories from her childhood in Côte d'Ivoire, her native country. It was then that she conceived the idea of telling the story of a group of Ivorian teenagers' everyday lives. Later, Clément Oubrerie, established animator, artist and children's book illustrator, gained interest in the project, and it eventually became the first graphic novel for both artists.

Inspired by French graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi, Abouet has created a story that depicts the normality of life in Côte d'Ivoire. Although Abouet has denied that the stories are based on her own life, she admits it is strongly based on people in her childhood in Côte d'Ivoire. The quotidian nature of the stories in Aya of Yop City counters heavily with common conceptions and representation of African life, such as famine, civil war and unhinged wilderness. Abouet's depiction of everyday African life through humor gave western viewers a very different viewpoint of Africa that they are not accustomed to seeing. Through this depiction, Aya of Yop City subverts negative stereotypes that plague Côte d'Ivoire and Africa in general.

Analysis
Origin of Nationalism in Africa

The colonial era in Africa created loosely formed states that contained many different ethnic groups that maintained strong communal values. In the post-colonial era, it became evident that African nations would need to unite in order to form permanent states and establish national governments. This re-branded type of nationalism was created through a collaboration of ideas stemming from traditional communal ties already in existence on the continent, and by the idea of self- determination that was championed by the United Nations. Together, these concepts assisted in the creation of sovereign states in Africa.

African Communal Identity in the Novel

The novel Aya of Yop City encompasses an overall theme of African nationalism, which is exhibited through familial and communal ties within the Ivorian community. Communalism is argued to be a form of nationalism that is unique to Africa because of the continent's history with colonialism. This communal idea of nationalism serves a different purpose than the Eurocentric norm, in that it is focused on obtaining a collective identity that speaks to the shared history of the African people living in a post-colonial era. For example, the characters in the book are not introduced individually, rather as families playing complementary roles. This shows how a distinct identity is formed for the dwellers of Yop city, as they navigate their lives in a post-colonial society. The problems that are usually seen as individual or family issues become community-wide issues. For instance, when Adjoua, a teenage girl in the novel, becomes pregnant the community rallies behind her to offer support. Aya watches after Adjoua's child so that she can continue selling items at the market. This illustrates the strong ties that bind their communal identity. The community of Yopougon finds its identity within gendered groups and participation in politics.

Artistic Style

Clément Oubrerie uses an expressive style that conveys the melodramatic tone of the text. His pencil strokes often go a step beyond reality to express strong emotions and to give his characters a distinct personality. For example, Bonaventure Sissoko is caricatured as a bully archetype: his eyes are completely masked by his bushy eyebrows and his huge bald head is attached directly unto his massive body. This exaggeration technique is used for comic effect and it also gives the readers an immediate impression of Bonaventure's obnoxious personality.

In contrast, Oubrerie's settings are very realistic. He uses a great amount of detail in his backgrounds to depict with accuracy the social and economic environment of post-colonial Ivory Coast in the 70's. Every scene, from the modern Ivorian cityscape to the small-town marketplace, is drawn in minute detail and vibrant colors that give the readers an immersive experience. In addition, Oubrerie's detailed settings help to establish characterization in the story. For example, Bonaventure's pink mansion stands out from all the other houses like a sore thumb in the same way that his body towers over the other characters.