The Famished Road by Ben Okri
Azaro, the narrator, is an abiku, or spirit kid, who in Nigeria’s Yoruba culture resides in between life and death. Though the future he envisions for himself and the story he narrates are both filled with misery and tragedy, he is strangely born smiling. He is raised from the dead after almost being called back to the afterlife. But Azaro’s caring parents end up being left penniless in the process of trying to save their child. This modern Lazarus story is driven by the conflict between the brutality and political unrest of the realm of the living and the allure of the carefree kingdom of the spirits.
The Famished Road by Ben Okri
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Readers are transported between the physical world and the spiritual realm as they follow the struggles of the young child Azaro and his family in a destitute neighbourhood somewhere in Nigeria. Each scene seamlessly blends the two worlds. The boy is taught by his mother and father through tales, much like the boy himself travels among people and spirits (the boy’s father transforms himself into a mystically empowered boxer named “Black Tyger”). They are moral but poor.
No matter how inebriated or unjustifiably he may act, the father will not allow anyone to persuade him to sacrifice his principles. Despite her tireless efforts, the mother always manages to cook and clean for her son and husband. The youngster fights his spirit buddies, rejects their repeated promises of paradise, and stays with his impoverished parents instead, doing his best to respect their wishes while loving and being loved by them. It is a tale of a family’s resilience in the face of overwhelming odds: landlords, politicians, and impoverished, occasionally parasitic neighbours all around them.
It was the beginning of African literature finding a place in Western literary culture, and it had a significant impact on me since it conveyed hitherto unheard tales. It’s the tale of a spirit child, and spirituality is very prevalent in Africa. In actuality, a significant portion of our culture is founded on spiritual practice. Although it may not necessarily be Christian, it is a part of our lives and reflects our ties to our ancestors. It fits well with the tales we tell. Our perception of reality is challenged by the folktales we are exposed to as children as well as stories about our own relatives and families. Much of what happened, what we do, and why we adhere to particular traditions are dependent on our spirituality.
