Rising within Hegemonic Limits: A Study of Subtle Resistance in Ayi Kwei Armah’s The Beautyful Ones are not yet Born

Abstract

This study examines the subversive strategies of mimicry and proliferation employed by Ayi Kwei Armah in his novel The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born to challenge hegemony in postcolonial societies. It argues that traditional forms of resistance often reproduce existing power structures, necessitating the adoption of tactics involving subtle narratives and non-totalising subversive actions. Drawing on theoretical perspectives on resistance from Achile Mbembe, Homi Bhabha, Michel de Certeau, and Michel Foucault, this paper explores the narrative deconstruction practices utilised by Armah to create space for marginalised voices within the postcolonial public sphere. It contends that resistance involves challenging both physical and symbolic power structures, achieved through an aesthetic of subversion or perversion of the dominant order. Analysing the novel, the study reveals specific strategies of resistance employed by characters, such as the carnivalesque, humour, rumour and gossip, parody, etc. to challenge control. These strategies exemplify localised and strategic struggles against power, rejecting universal revolutions in favour of discreet actions and the breaking of smaller rules. The research contributes to understanding resistance in postcolonial power dynamics and emphasises the significance of diverse strategies in subverting the hegemonic order.