APOSTMODERNISTANALYSI

SOFBI
YIBANDELE'
STHEMANWHOCAMEI
NFROM
THEBACKOFBEYOND

POSTMODERNI
SM ASALI
TERARYCONCEPTANDI
TSFEATURES

Post modernism wi thi

tsthemat icconcernsofdi sil
lusionmentandcel ebrationoft he
existenti
alnatur eofli
fewer enot i
cedaround1960t o1990inl i
ter
aryrepresentations.
It
schar acteri
sticsincl
udedecent eredment,pastiche,all
egory,ambiguity,
irony,par ody
,
darkhumour ,fragmentati
on, especiall
yindialogue,questionablenarr
at or
s, meta-
narrati
ves,isolatedcharacters,andt heblur
ringoft hedivi
debet weenr eal
ity(li
fe)and
fi
ction.Appar ently
,postmoder nism sharessomanysi mil
ari
tieswithmoder nism but
theyar enotthesame.

Post moder ni
sm asaconcepti mprovesonmoder ni
sm andi si nfact,arepl enishmentof
thel att
er.Theybot hshar esuchchar act eri
sticsas: absenceofuni versalorabsol ute
truth,anti-author i
tyandant i
-t
radit
ion,disregar df orrat
ionalit
y ,
thebel i
eft hathumanl if
e
i
scompl exanddi sjointedbutcoul dalsobecel ebratedasi tcannotbechanged, etc.But
forpost moder nists,not hingisbasedonl ogical reasoning,thereisnoest ablished
wi delyaccept edoraccept abl
euni ver
sal t
ruth,themaj or i
tyhav elostfaithint ruth, no
rationali
tyoror der.Post moder ni
stsdonotdepi ctawor ldwher eev entsar et ohappen
nor mallybutr at hertheyshowawor l
dwher et hingshappenany howandany t
ime, where
l
ifei sri
ddl edwi t
huncer tainty
,wher ether eisnosecur ityorst r
ucture.Fort hem, t
his
realityi
sunchangeabl eandcannotbehel pedasev ery
thingi sfragment ed, de- centered
andunst ructured.Fort hem, t
hisreali
tyshoul dnotbet akenmour nfull
yorr egar dedwi t
h
agl oomyandr uefulaspectasmoder nistsbel i
ev e,butshoul dbepl ayedwi th.Thi s
phi l
osophybr ingst olife,thear ti
sti
cpl ayfulnesst hatpost moder nistsareknownf or.

Char act ersi npostmoder nistfi

ctionar ecomf or
tableandatpeacewi ththeirlonel i
ness.
Theyhav ecomet ot ermswi ththeirsituationandassuch, theyl iv
et hisalienati
onwi th
rel
ishandf eelnost rangenessabouti t.Fragment at
ion, i
ncoher enceanduncer tai
nt yar e
theelement sthatexpl ainthewor ldasdepi ctedinpost moder nistwor ks.I ntheirwor ks,
theyal sogi v evoicetomember soft hesoci et
ywhohav ebeennegl ectedand
mar ginalized, t
heyagi tateforequal i
tyingender ,rel
igion,classandr ace.Post moder nist
wor ksar er epletewithi ssuesofpov er ty
,oppr essionsuchascl assoppr essi onand
gendersubj ugati
on, al
onenessorl ackofcommuni cation,helplessness, sexuality,
politi
cs, andsoon.Asment ionedear l
ier,post modernism doesnotengaget hesei ssues
mour nf ull
yasmoder nism doesbutt reatst hem playfullyandcel ebratest hesesi tuations
witht henonsenset heyper ceivelifet obeandar emor eentertaini
ngt hanmoder nist
writi
ngs.
Inpostmodernistli
terature,iti
sdif
fi
cul
ttodi sti
ngui
shbetweenfict
ionandnonfi
ction.
Postmoder
nistsexpl orethepastandweav eitint
othenew,theyareofthevi
ewt hat
ever
ytexti
sbor nf r
om awi derangeofexper i
encesandassuch,diff
icul
ttoi
nter
prete.
Toapostmoder nist,mor al
ityandtr
uthi
sr elati
ve.

POSTMODERNI
STTECHNI
QUES

Postmoder
nistl
it
erar
ytechni
quesasseeni
nsev
eral
wor
kswhi
chf
all
underi
tscat
egor
y
i
nclude,
butarenotli
mit
edto:

1.Useofmet
anar
rat
ives,
stori
esaboutst
ori
esandnar
rat
orswhoareconcer
nedabout
thewayst
heynar
rat
etheirst
ori
esandhowthei
raudi
encerecei
vest
hei
rstor
ies.

2.Empl oymentofnarrator
swhoaremostlyunr eli
abl
eastheirnar
rati
vesaresometi
mes
fraughtwithinconsi
stenci
esandwhohidetheirtrueemoti
onsorv i
tali
nfor
mationti
l
la
particul
arti
mewhent hei
raudi
encewi
l
lbelievet hei
rint
ent
ionsoracti
onsaswel l
as
theirstor
y.

3.Useofpar
ody,aplayf
ulwayofdeal
ingwi
ththeexist
ent
ialnatur
eofhumanli
feand
pl
ayful
exper
imentat
ionsuchastheuseoff
lashbackanddigressi
onbynar
rat
ors.

4.Past
iche-t
heblendi
ngoftheol
dandt
henew,
fusi
onofav
ari
etyofst
yles,
genr
esand
stor
yli
nestocreateanewform.

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR-BI
YIBANDELETHOMAS

AWestAf r
icanwr it
erofNi geriandescent,BiyiBandele-Thomaswasbor nin
Kafanchani nNi ger
ia,i
n1967.Hi spoetryhasbeenpubl ishedi nav ari
etyofmagazines
andjournals,aswel lasinaBBCant hologyofAf ri
canPoet ry,TheFat eofVult
ures.He
haswr i
ttensev eralpl
ays,includingTheFemal eGodandot herForbiddenFrui
ts,which
wasbr oadcastont heBBCWor l
dSer v
icein1991, andTel ani Graf
fiti
.TheManWho
Camei nFr om theBackofBey ondwashi sf
irstnovel,
andwaspubl ishedinhardbackin
1991.Ithasbeent r
anslatedi ntoGerman.TheSy mpat heticUnder t
akerwasal so
publi
shedi n1991.

Biyi
Bandele-Thomasstandsinthethi
rdgener
ati
onofAf ri
canwrit
erswhosewords
ar
echannell
edt oaddressi
ngNigeri
a'
sprobl
emse.ghumant r
affi
cki
ng,i
ncest
,
pr
osti
tut
ionetc.Hebelongstothegroupofradi
calwr
iter
s.Hei sawrit
erwhousespost
moderni
stcul
ture.Hebelongstothegroupofmigr
antwriter
swhouset hei
rwordsto
l
ookatpr oblemsofAfri
ca.Hecanbeseenasapr ophetorforeseerbecauseheimpli
ed
throughhiswork,TheManWhoCameI nFr
om TheBackofBey ond,thatafai
ledst
ateis
thatwheretherewil
lberevol
t/
insecur
it
y.Thi
shasbecomet rueinNigeri
awi t
hthe
emer genceoftheBokoHaram yearsaft
erBandel
epubl
ishedhisbook.

ANOVERVI
EW OFTHEBOOK,
THEMANWHOCAMEI
NFROM THEBACKOF
BEYOND

Maude, aneccentricschoolteacher,i
nvi
test heyoungst udentLakemft ohisf lat
.
Thereheweav esat er
ri
fy i
ngtal
eofmur der,
incestandr evenge.Ast hestorygather s
pace,real
it
ybegi nstomer gewit
hgr i
m deceitandLamkemf a,unabletodist
inguish
betweenthet wo, f
acest hedestructi
onofhisi nnocence.Her e,Bandel
e-Thomast ell
s
thestoryofBozoandt hatofMaudei nt
erwtinedinsuchawayt hatthenovel'
splotcan
bebestdescr i
bedasl ayered/fr
agment ed,ast or
ywi t
hinast ory.

POSTMODERNI
SM I TheManWhoCamei
NTHEBOOK, nfr
om t
heBackofBey
ond

BiyiBandel
e'
sTheManWhoCamei nFr om t
heBackofBey ondshowsst r
ongf eatur
es
ofthepostmoderni
stcul
tur
e.Theenti
replotofthenovelrev
ealsi
tsundeniabl
elink
wit
hpostmoder ni
sm.Int
hispartoft
hisstudy,
theelementsofpostmodernism inBiyi
Bandele'
sTheManWhoCamei nFrom theBackofBey ondwill
becri
ti
call
yexami ned.

Thenov el canbesai dt obeamet anar rative- Anar rat i

vewhi chconcer nsnar r
ativ
esof
historicalmeani ng, exper ienceorknowl edge.Thi spr edomi nantfeatureofpost
moder nism asst atedi nt heopeni ngsect ionoft hisst udycanbeseeni nseveral
i
nst ancesi nt henov el.Forexampl e,thei xsect i
onofChapt ertwo, wher eBandele-
Thomasengagesi nt heknowl edgeabl enar rativedi scour seofmar ij
uana;slangsusedt o
refertoi tindi fferentpar t
sofAf r
ica,legal consequencesofbei ngcaughti npossessi on
oft heher b,alter nativest ot heher b(her oin) andwhymaj orityoftheher buser scannot
affordi t
, i
tsav ai l
abilit
yi nNi ger i
aandhowi tissecr etlycul ti
vatedandhowpeopl e
especi all
yy oungst ersr isktaki ngit.Al lthesear eexami nedbyBandel e-Thomasbef ore
hegoesaheadt onar rateBozo' sinit
iat i
oni nt he" herb-user scommuni ty".
Another
exampl eofBandel e'sbookasamet anar rativ ecanbeseeni nChapt ert hr
eeoft hebook
wher eBandel eengagesi nt hehi storical nar rativeofhowt heMai tatasinewasf ormedi n
Nor thernNi ger i
ai n'81.Bandel e'shist ori
cal nar r
at i
veofi nsurgencyshowst heli
nk
betweenBozo' sideat ouseal majiri
s, whom hewoul dlurewi thfoodbef ore
i
ndoct ri
nating, topl anar evol tagainstt hesoci ety.Agai n, i
nChapt erfour ,
Bandele
depl oysahi st orical andknowl edgeabl enar rat i
vet odi scusst hehistoryoft heNigerian
townofKaf anchan; itsst r
uct ure,diverset r
ibal andr eligiousset tl
ers, i
tsearlycivi
li
zation
whi chBandel edescr i
best hus: "
IndeedKaf anchansawt hesunear l
y"(pg.113) .
Bandel
e'sTheManWhoCamei nFrom theBackofBey ondturnsouttobeaser iesof
fi
cti
onal
,histori
cal andknowledgeabl
enar r
ati
vesdexterousl
ystrungtoget
hertot r
uly
depi
ctthecul t
ureofpost -moderni
sm.From thestor
yofMaudeandLakemf a,tothe
stor
yofBozoandt heothersmallhi
stor
icalandknowledgeablenarr
ativ
esinfusedby
Bandel
e,itisinarguablethatTheManWhoCamei nFrom theBackofBey ondshowsa
tr
uepostmoder nistspi
rit
.

Af eaturet hatdef inespostmoder nism i sitsfragment ed/ l

ay erednat ure.Thi s
fragment ednat uremakesupBi yiBandel e' sTheManWhoCamei nFrom t heBackof
Bey ond.Thest oryline/ pl
otoft henov el isf ragment ed.Bandel edi gressesf rom t hest ory
ofMaudei nChapt eronet ot hatofBozoi nChapt ertwo.I nt hesubsequentchapt ers,we
seef urtherdi gressi on, forexampl e,i
nsect ioni xofChapt ert wo, Bandel edigr essesf r
om
thest oryoft hemur derofBozo' sf atherandsi stert ot hei ssueofmar ijuana;slangsused
tor efert oi tetc.It'snotunt i
lther eaderhasr eadt wopagesbef orehedi scov erst he
relev anceoft hisdi gr essioni .eBozo' si nitiat i
ont oher bandMi t
chel lSocr ates.Af terthis
digressi on, Bandel ef urtherdi gressest ot hest oryofMar ia'sf ami lyandhowshecame
tobeMi t
chel lSocr at es'"sister"andt hent hedi gressiont ot heissueofr ubbishpi lesand
cemet er y.Bandel edwel lsont hedescr iptionoft hecemet eryandi t'
spoorst atebef ore
reveal ingt hatit'sther estinghomeofAbednegoandMoy o-Bozo' sf atherandsi ster.
Thenanot herdi gressi oni nthenextchapt erdescr ibesagat ekeeperatapsy chi atric
asy lum.Thi sst retchesf orawhi l
ebef orewedi scov ert hatt hisasy lum housesMr s
Debor ahAbednego- Bozo'smot herwher eshewascl assedasapsy chopat hicmur derer.
Theni nchapt ert hree, Bandel emov esbr ieflyfrom t hest or yofBozot ot hatofMaude
andt henbackt ot hest oryofBozoagai n, thisti
mear oundhi salcohol ism.Tof ur t
her
but tresst hepoi ntofv iewt hatTheManWhoCamei nFr om t heBackofBey ondi sa
nov el off ragment edpl ot,theendofChapt erthreet alksaboutBozo' sal l
egedl yki lli
ng
himsel f:

"
Theheadl
i
nesai
d:KAFANCHANMASSACRE:
MADMANKI
LLSSEVEN

POLI
CEMEN-
THENSHOOTSHI
MSELF:
BIDTOSETFRI
ENDSFREE.
"

TheninChapt erfour,weseet heresurgenceofBozowhohadsupposedl ydiedinafir

e
i
nthepr evi
ouschapt er.Iti
sn'
tunti
lchapt erfourt
hatthemassacretrulyhappens.The
f
ragment edploti
nBi yiBandele'
sTheManWhoCamei nFr
om theBackofBey ondi
sthe
mostdef i
ningandpredomi nantstyl
ethatr ev
olvesaroundtheli
ter
arypieceandmakes
i
tunique.Thedigressionsinthisoeuvreshowi tasawor kthatcomprisesparody-a
f
eatureofpostmoder nism.

Anot
herf
eat
uret
hatcl
ear
lymar
ksBandel
e'
sTheManWhoCamei
nFr
om t
heBack
ofBey ondasanov elofpostmoder nistcultureisthepr esenceofunr el
iabl
enar rat
ors;
fraughtwithinconsist
enciesandhi det rueemot i
onsandv i
talinfor
mat i
onunt i
l a
particul
artimewhent heaudi encewi llbeli
ev ethei
rintentionsaswel lastheirstory
.This
i
nconsi st
entnarratorisseeni nthechar acterofMaudewhowi thhol
dst hefactthatthe
storywhichhet ell
sLamkemf aandt hewhol enov el'
splotcent ersaround,i
smer efi
cti
on
wr i
ttenbyhisyoungerbr other-Beso.Thi scanbeseent husi nhi swordstoLamkef a
wi t
hwhom het r
iesalitt
lepuzzleofaski ngwhathi sclassmat esmeantwhent heysaid
"april
phoologi
sm"ast houghhedi dn'talreadyknow.Thi scanbeseent husinMaude' s
speech:

"
WhatI
'
mtr
yingt
otel
lyou,
Lamkef
a,i
sthatal
lthatst
oryIt
old

y
out
oday
,al
lthatscr
ipty
our
ead,
wasf
ict
ion.Ther
eisnoi
ota

oft
rut
h,nosoupconofr
eal
i
tyi
nitatal
l
.Itwasal
lfi
gmentoft
he

i
magi
nat
ion.Thatmanuscr
iptwasact
ual
l
yther
emai
nsofa

pr
oposednov
elbymyki
dbr
other
."

Char act ersi npostmoder nistwor ksof tenshar esomet hingincommon-

disil
lusionmentandi ndifference.Di sillusi onedchar acterswhoar emostt imes
i
ndi ff
er entt ot heirpredicamenti sapr ev alentf eatur eofpostmoder nism andt hisis
seeni nmor et hanonechar acterinBandel e'sTheManWhoCamei nFr om t heBackof
Bey ond.Bozoi sachar act erthatiscompl etelydi sill
usioned.Hi sfat einlifemadehi m
taket omar ijuanawhi chr est r
uctureshi st hinki ngf acili
tyandmadehi m wantt o
"conquer "t hesoci ety.I
nhi scrazedst at e,hemov est othebushf ort woy ear swher ehe
l
ivedl i
keacav emanandcul ti
vatesmar ijuanaandt henr eturnswi thenoughoft heher b
thathemakesaf ortunef orhi msel f
.Bozo' sdi sil
lusionmentwi thphi losophies, mar ij
uana,
theor i
esofr eligion, t
he-ismset cl eadshi mt oendhi slifeint heend.Bozocanal sobe
saidt oshowanat tit
udeofi ndiff
erencet ohi spl ighti nmostpar tthroughoutt henov el
.
Anexampl eofBozo' sindif fer
encei sseeni nhi sseemi ngabsent mindednesswhenhi s
mot herwasnar r
atingthest oryoft hemur derandi ncestt ohim dur inghi sv i
sittoherat
thepr i
son.I nst eadofhi smi ndt ogr aspt hegr avityofwhathi smot herissay i
ng, his
mi nddr iftsher eandt hereandhewas, atsomepoi nt ,t
hinkingofpoet ryandt hathe
want edt opoet ryinFela'sl yri
cs-languageoft heghet to.Bozo' sat ti
tudeofi ndifferenti
s
seeni nt hissceneandmanyot herst hroughoutt henov el.Forexampl e,Bozoshr ugs,
accept shi sf ateandmov esonwi thhi sl ifeofammuni t
ionbuy i
ngev enaf ter
discov eringt hathehadbeendupedbySocr atesofal mostal lhi
ssav i
ngs.Socr at es
ar
rangedwi t
haf r
iendofhi
stosel
lfakebombst oBozoandev
enaftert
hisi
s
di
scovered,Bozoactsi
ndif
fer
ent
lyt
oi tandgoesontosti
ll
pur
chaseammuniti
oni
n
Chapterthr
ee:

"
Thewhol
eper
nici
ousout
fi
thadcostBozoacool
twot
housand

nai
ra.Cool
!..
.Thankst
othatbast
ardMi
tchel
l
,any
way
.

Nott
hathef
eltl
i
kemour
ningt
hel
ossofhi
scr
ummyl
i
fe

sav
ings!Cer
tai
nlyhedi
dnot
."(
pg.
120)

Thisatti
tudeofi ndiff
erenceisnotlimitedtothecharacter-Bozoalone.Onecansee
i
ndif
ferenceinBozo' ssister
-Moy o.WhenMoy obrokethenewsofherpr egnancytoher
f
ather,shewasbesi desherselfwithlaughterasthoughthet houghtofbeingcaughtfor
i
ncestdidnoti nanywayscar eher.Indiff
erencecanalsobeseeni nthecharact
erof
Mariawhoi sstrangelyseent olaughwi thMitchel
lSocratesatthebankoft heri
verfew
minutesafterher escuedherfrom drowni nghersel
f.

Alltheseel
ement
sinBiyi
Bandele'
soeuvr
eTheManWhoCamei n
From theBackofBey
onddist
ingui
shesitasanov
elst
ruct
uredwi
th
feat
uresofpostmoderni
sm.
REFERENCES

*Bandele-Thomas,
B.(1991)
.TheManWhoCamei
nFr
om t
heBackof
Beyond.Ibadan:
Spect
rum Books