“An Alienated Intellectual”? Rereading E. Kezilahabi’s Novel Kichwamaji

Abstract

This study deals with Euphrase Kezilahabi’s second novel, Kichwamaji, which describes the life and death of a protagonist as well as a first-person narrator Kazimoto. Previous studies share a common perspective of Kazimoto’s image, that is, a suffering intellectual alienated from his native village. It is true that in his narration Kazimoto depicts the gap between him and his surroundings, and emphasizes his sense of alienation. However, at the same time, the novel has some aspects which make readers doubt the reliability of his narration. Therefore, this study points out the possibility that Kazimoto is an “unreliable narrator” and tries to revise his common image of previous studies. The aim of this study is to provide Kazimoto’s real image, which reveals the hidden theme of the novel.