Terrorism and Agency in Les Jours Viennent et Passent: Reconfiguring the notion of Victims.

Onomejoh, Princewill; Ehigie, Dare Eriel; Braimoh, Jimoh

Passerelle
Volume 14, Numéro 2, Pages 18-45
2025-12-22

Terrorism And Agency In Les Jours Viennent Et Passent: Reconfiguring The Notion Of Victims.

Authors : Onomejoh Princewill . Ehigie Dare Eriel . Braimoh Jimoh .

Abstract

This study critically examines the complex dynamics of radicalization, victimhood, and moral ambiguity in Hemley Boum’s Les Jours viennent et passent, with a particular focus on how emotional trauma and ideological manipulation intersect in the lives of youth. Through close textual analysis of central characters such as Jenny and Yacouba, the research explores how systemic injustice, psychological vulnerability, and religious indoctrination construct morally ambiguous individuals. Drawing on victimology (Pemberton & Aarten, 2017), trauma theory (Megbulem, 2025), and intercultural pragmatics (Ehigie & Braimoh, 2024), the paper demonstrates that radicalization in the novel is not the product of innate violence but rather a response to personal and societal ruptures. The study further situates Boum’s narrative within broader African literary representations of extremism, highlighting how her work complicates the binary of perpetrator and victim. Additionally, the paper considers how translation and language shape the international reception of such narratives, arguing that cultural sensitivity and communicative intent must be foregrounded in rendering ideologically charged texts. Integrating educational discourse from Braimoh’s The Perfect Scholar (2014) provides a counter-narrative on moral formation, underscoring the transformative potential of ethical instruction over ideological coercion. By engaging interdisciplinary frameworks and underexplored gendered perspectives, the research contributes to African literary scholarship, terrorism studies, and trauma analysis. It calls for more empathetic, context-specific, and critically engaged readings of African narratives that portray youth extremism as a multifaceted human experience rather than a monolithic threat.