Thresholds: A ‘Complete’ Table of the Borrowings in Yambo Ouologuem’s Le Devoir de violence, and Why They Matter

Recent research has revealed that the borrowings in Yambo Ouologuem’s epochal novel Le Devoir de violence (Bound to Violence) are far more extensive than was previously thought. Accused of plagiarism, Ouologuem quit the Parisian literary world and returned to a definitive silence in Mali. This book attempts to provide both a complete table of the borrowings in Le Devoir de Violence and a new theory of their meaning. Miller dispels the myth that the borrowings are minor, negligible, or criminal; he argues that they are artful “thresholds,” openings to a profound reconsideration of African history. Ouologuem set up this system of borrowings as a way to invite readers down unexpected paths of meaning. The borrowings are not mere stunts; they are inseparable from Ouologuem’s radical revision of African history and his rejection of Negritude. The table of borrowings in part three of this book will serve as a resource for readers and scholars.