Seynabou Sonko: Djinns ou le roman de l’entre-deux

Abstract

"In her first novel, Djinns, Seynabou Sonko, a young Franco-Senegalese writer, explores the question of biculturalism through the identity quest of the young Penda, the main character in her story, whose questions are often similar to her own. We shall see that, going back to the Senegalese traditions of her childhood, the author starts from the figure of the djinn, invisible mystical beings with ambiguous intentions living among humans and associates them in her novel with what occidental sociology calls identity schizophrenia. Through this cultural duality, the characters, accompanied by their djinns, will acquire a more complete perception of their environment, which will lead them to a harmony of identity and language"