Giovanna Nieto

Dr. Michael Winston

Francophone Lit
3-13-15
The Dark Child by Camara Laye
Theme: Alienation
The Dark Child is an autobiographical novel of Camara Layes life. He grew up in
Guinea during a soon to end French colonial rule. He had a steady French education throughout
his childhood. Eventually, this education took him to Paris France, forcing him to leave his
homeland and his African culture. Due to this decision to follow a French educational path, he
alienated himself. While growing up, his studies required him to travel. This kept him away from
his home town, family, and friends. The more Laye tried to embrace these two cultures
(French/African) the less he fit in with his own culture. In the end of the novel, he was alone,
depressed, and left wondering if he made the right choice.
The first sign of Laye not fitting in with his African roots, was when he visited his
mothers family in the rural town of Tindican. The animals of the woods startled him (page
44). He was afraid of the great horned beasts, while the other children played alongside the
cows (page 45). He also could not play as freely outside with the other children because he only
had nice school clothes to wear.
During his ritual coming of age, his fathers second wife held up an exercise book and a
pen for Laye. This symbolized his future as a scholar and at the time he was embarrassed by
her actions (page117). After the ceremony, Laye received formal mens clothes which was
uncommon for boys his age. He became move removed from his friends after the initiation.
While he continued his French education, they began new professions and went on travels to
neighboring towns.

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At fifteen, he left home to study at a technical school in Conakry. He was forced to use
French to communicate because the people spoke a foreign dialect there. He was homesick and
ill during his first stay. As the school year ended, he became well and was overcome with
excitement to return to his promised land of Kourossa (page 155). Every time he came back
from school his mother, hoping to please him, would remodel his hut to a more European style.
Ultimately, I feel like this alienated him from his native culture further.
When Laye made his final decision to study in France, his parents had to come to the
hard realization that their child chose a French lifestyle over their African one. There were many
tears from both parents, but Laye seemed to cry the most. On the final few pages of the novel, he
wavers on his decision to leave. He knows that he is not happy to leave. Earlier in the book, he
reflects that he will not have a spiritual animal guide like his parents because he doesnt feel
connected to his culture. He isolated himself from those he loved by choosing a path that
diverged from them. His totem is said to be the map of the Paris metro. Ultimately, Layes
mixture of cultures made him abandon his African heritage, leaving him alone and alienated.