Reading "Pré-histoire de Ken" in Ken Bugul's Le Baobab fou

Le Baobab fou is arguably the most subversive autobiographical narrative ever published since the emergence in the 1970s of sub-Saharan francophone literature written by women authors. The writer, Mariétou M'Baye, better known under the pseudonym Ken Bogul, begins her narrative with a first part written in the third-person singular, entitled "Pré-histoirede Ken. " This second and last part itself begins with a short preamble that recapitualtes the events told in the prehistory part. One may wonder, then, why Ken's autobiographical account does not simply begin with its second part. In this essay, I analyze the novel's first part, "Pré-histoire de Ken," in an attempt to unravel its meaning as well as to broaden our understanding of its significance for the remainder of the novel. Ultimately, Ken Bogul's strategic prehistory narrative constitutes the basis of Ken Bogul's distinctive voice, which I define.