CHAPTER ONE

1.1 Introduction

Literature in the African society has a rich timeline and has enjoyed such defining moments that
we cannot possibly fully expound. For us as Africans, literature has been a significant part of our
societies for longer than the western world represented in their earliest literature of Africa. Long
before the colonial and the pseudo-civilization eras, Africa had its proper literature, although this
form of literature was not documented in written form.

Pre-colonial African literature, preserved by griots, praise-singers, poets, drummers, and priests
in some communities were the custodians of our collective literature. This, they passed on
vertically through their family, from father, to child.

Literature was a means for several endeavors then. It served as a way of orally preserving
histories of cities and their peoples and also guarding the societal norms and beliefs that were the
fibers holding the cultures of several African societies. Beyond this, literature was also a means
of interpreting the mystic and divine and also showing reverence to the divine. The story of
creation and the existence of the divine is native to several African cultures and languages.

Furthermore, literature served as a medium for acculturation and enculturation, helping the new
members of the society understand the modus operandi and what they needed to know to group
into acceptable members of the society. Literature in the Africa of then — known generally as
oral literature — was largely didactic. No matter how entertaining the story or how intriguing the
ballad, the average piece of oral African literature has some lessons laden between its lines and
paragraphs.

Oral literature was the only pure form of African literature for centuries till the need for Africa-
centric written literature arose. However, the bulk of the written literature by African writers
during the colonial and early post-colonial era were targeted at correcting the erroneous
narratives that non-African writers and explorers had made about the African people through
written work. At this time, Africans had begun to receive standardized and formalized education
which meant that some Africans had become skilled at writing. The colonization of the continent
meant that several regions had their newly acquired languages which were elevated to the
positions of official languages, being English, French, Arabic, and some other European
languages. Thus, the emerging African and Caribbean writers largely wrote in the official
language of their country and region for some reasons: first, to reach more people than they
could possibly reach with their local language and unify their audience. Second, to ensure that
their writings reached another segment of audience — the colonizers who had misrepresented the
cultures and traditions of Africa and correct the anomalies in the stories they told of Africa.

Thus, the African writers of this era were tasked with finding their voice, discovering their
identity and what should be the identity of African literature, revisiting falsely told stories of
Africa, and also orchestrate a literary rebellion to support the fight against colonialism and for
independence across African regions. During this period, Ahmadou Kourouma and some other
Francophone authors were leading the charge for the Africanization of French through written
literature. Chinua Achebe of Nigeria also had his Things Fall Apart to depict the civilized
African societies before colonization and the real effects of and reason for colonization in Africa.

This period also served as a period where African authors joined forces with political movements
and other organizations and associations across the continent to push for the independence of
African states. The role of African literature in the struggle for independence cannot be sidelined,
as movements like the Negritude of Sedar Senghor, Leon Damas, and Aime Cesar contributed to
the earliest early political consciousness among Africans, and Sedar Senghor went on to become
the first elected president of independent Senegal.

Independence came for Africa and thus began a turn in the trend for African literature. This was
a not so distinct turn from what writers were tasked with during the colonial era. The earliest
period of the post-colonial era jolted African writers to reality — the reality that freedom from
colonialism and European rule was not necessarily freedom.

Several of the African leaders who had championed the independence of their countries and also
were writers who contributed literature to voice out against colonialists’ oppression soon became
what they fought against. The leaders who took over the reins became subjected to neo-
colonialism, selfishness, and greed, all at the expense of their countries’ development. Thus,
writers became tasked with representing this oppressive and regressive turn of events for several
African countries — albeit now independent — through literature.
Wole Soyinka, Ken Saro Wiwa, Remi Raji, Niyi Osundare, Ngugi Wa Thiong’O, Femi Osofisan,
Nadine Gordimer, and Abdulrazak Gurnah are some of the writers who were tasked with this
work, using prose, poetry and drama. It did not help matters that civil wars and intermittent
military takeover rocked some of these newly independent African countries. There were cases
of gross violation of human rights, corruption, and heart-rending lack of direction. These writers
braced incarceration, as many soon had to seek asylum in other countries. They were fierce, and
beyond being fierce, they held the fort to make literature one of the few things the world
respected Africa for during the early to mid-post-colonial era.

Africa’s case is such a peculiar one, such that the problems of decades ago which served as the
subject of many a literary work largely remains the problems of the contemporary African
continent. Thus, contemporary African writers are tasked to write on, among other things, the
problems that their literary ancestors and mentors wrote on. Much of the contemporary African
literature still centers on political ills, the underdevelopment of several African countries, neo-
colonialism, streetism etc. and it circles back to the identity of the African person in a dynamic
and fiercely conscious world — a world that is more conscious and sensitive than it has ever
been.

Contemporary African writers, from Kwame Dawas, to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, to Assia
Djeba, Amma Darko, Zainab Alkali and Sello Duiker, among others, write about identity,
feminism, streetism and the backward cultural and religious practices that marginalize some
African women, especially in Northern Africa.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

People, particularly children and young people, living on the streets, according to Ochieng
(2012), is a global problem, as evidenced by the fact that it has been in both developing and
industrialised developed countries for a very long time. Street people (particularly children and
young people) may be found in almost every city globally, and they are perhaps the most
apparent manifestation of child trafficking. Some of these youngsters with no one to protect them
or guarantee their safety are sometimes involved in minor commerce, physical labour, and
rubbish collecting, among other activities. Street children are a global problem, but their situation
is dangerous in developing countries, where a lack of suitable social infrastructure and socio-
economic programs endangers the development of these unlucky individuals.

Notwithstanding, despite the progress made towards guaranteeing the security of street children
in recent years, streetism and the plight of street children still remains a significant issue because
streetism has been on the increase, especially among foreigners and is often reflected in various
literatures.

In the novel “Faceless”, Amma Darko explores the harsh realities faced by street children, and
how it affects them. This research highlights the need for further discussion and action to address
the issue of streetism and the social security of street children in the African novel. However,
despite the number of researches on the phenomenon of street children, there has not been any
research on their social security in the novel, nonetheless adopting a Marxist theory to analyze
the text. Therefore, this research intends to fill in this gap.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The main aim of this research is to critically analyze the portrayal of streetism and social

security in the African novel "Faceless" by Amma Darko from a Marxist perspective and to fully

understand the socio-economic conditions that contribute to streetism and explore the novel's

depiction of the lack of social security for vulnerable individuals in African societies.

The objectives could include:

i. To examine the concept of streetism and its prevalence in African societies as depicted in
"Faceless"

ii. To analyze the factors that contribute to streetism, such as poverty, inequality, and lack of
social services.

iii. To explore the impact of streetism on the lives of the characters in the novel and their
struggle for social security.

iv. To investigate the representation of social security measures, policies, or lack thereof, in
the novel.
 v. To critically assess the author's work while using the Marxist theory so as to highlight
and critique the socio-economic structures that perpetuate streetism and hinder social
security in the African context.

1.4 Research Questions

i. How does Amma Darko portray the issue of streetism in the novel "Faceless"?

ii. What are the underlying causes and factors that contribute to streetism, as depicted in the
novel?

iii. How does streetism affect the lives and well-being of the characters in "Faceless"?

iv. What social security measures are portrayed in the novel, and how effective or ineffective
are they in addressing streetism?

v. How does Amma Darko employ Marxist theory to critique the socio-economic structures
that perpetuate streetism and hinder social security in African societies?

1.5 A Brief Biography of The Author

Amma Darko was born in 1956 in Koforidua, the capital city of the eastern region of Ghana. She

grew up in the cosmopolitan capital Accra. After spending her formative years there, Darko

moved to Kumasi where she obtained her diploma in industrial design in 1980. She also obtained

a qualification in sociology and spent a year working at the Technology Consultancy Centre at

the university in Kumasi.

1.6 A Brief on the Primary Text

“Faceless” was published in 2003 in Ghana. The novel highlights the abuse of the girl child and

women in Africa. The circumstance that warrants this text is largely the plight of women that has

pervaded the Ghanaian society at the time.

literary scene. She has published numerous books, including the novel Beyond the Horizon

(1995), The Housemaid (1998), Faceless (2003), Not Without Flowers (2006) and Between Two

Worlds (2015). Some of her books are published in both German and English, with two novels

published in German only, the country where Darko was living when she established her literary

career. In her novels, Darko focuses particularly on how women navigate the world, reflecting

common Ghanaian life experiences.

1.7 Scope and Limitation of the Study

The scope of this research is to focus on a detailed analysis of “Faceless”, with particular

emphasis on the ways in which the novel portrays street children and their social security. The

research will also explore the novel’s themes of poverty, child abuse and the humiliation of street

children, and how these themes are reflected in the experiences of the novel’s characters. The

limitations of this research are that it will be limited to a close reading of the text “faceless”, and

will not include an analysis of other works by Amma Darko or a broader discussion of all

African literature.

1.8 Relevance of the Study

The relevance of this research is that it will offer a new perspective on the ways in which street

children are viewed and also the social security of street children in “faceless”, and how these

themes are relevant to the experiences of street children today. The choice of the primary text is

borne out of its relevance in the literary arena. By exploring the nuances of the novel and its

portrayal of street children (streetism), this research has the potential to contribute to a better

understanding of the complexities of streetism and social security as a whole. In addition, the
research may also shed light on the ways in which literature can be used to raise awareness and

promote social change and also it will add to the body of research and a source of information for

future reference.

1.9 Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework employed in this research work is the Marxist theory. The Marxist

theory is a theory that emphasises the role of social and economic structures in shaping human

behavior and relationships.

Furthermore, the Marxist approaches in literature have provided an opportunity to study the

literary criticism that came up with the times. Nineteenth century communal living can be

regarded to be behind the growth and development of this approach. The writings of the

twentieth century focused the ideas of class conflict, the problems of the poor, and the effects of

the capitalist system. According to Fredric Jameson, Marxist critics of the 1930s have been,

“relegated to the status of an intellectual and historical curiosity”. In fact, the Marxist critic goes

beyond literature’s inevitable disclosure of tensions and contradictions within a society. An ideal

Marxist work would present a powerful story along with solutions to fight the problems existing

in the society.

The concept of Marxism is apt for the analysis of Darko’s “faceless” because the

happenings in the text have direct connection with the tenets or principles of Marxism. One

possible connection between Marxism and a character in Amma Darko's "Faceless" is through

the character of Baby T. Baby T is a young girl who becomes a victim of child trafficking. She is

stolen from her family and forced into prostitution in order to make money for her traffickers.
Through her character, Darko explores issues of exploitation, inequality, and the dehumanizing

effects of capitalism.

Marxism, as a socio-political theory, focuses on the struggle between the bourgeoisie (the
ruling class) and the proletariat (the working class). It seeks to expose and overthrow the existing
system of capitalism, which it argues leads to exploitation and inequality. Baby T's situation
exemplifies the Marxist critique of capitalism. She is part of the proletariat, forced to labor under
oppressive conditions, essentially being treated as a commodity by her traffickers. This aligns
with Marx's argument that capitalism relies on the exploitation of the working class for the
benefit of the ruling class. Furthermore, Darko's portrayal of Baby T highlights the
dehumanizing effects of capitalism. As she is forced into prostitution and subjected to various
forms of abuse, her agency is completely stripped away. She is reduced to a mere object, existing
solely for the profit and pleasure of others. This resonates with Marx's criticism of capitalism's
tendency to commodify people and treat them as means to an end. By presenting Baby T's story,
Darko exposes the harsh realities and systemic injustices perpetuated by the capitalist society in
which she lives. Through this connection, readers can see how Marxism can be linked to the
character of Baby T in "Faceless." Thus, by examining the ways in which streetism and the
social security of street children are linked to broader social and economic structures, we can
understand the root causes of these issues.