Memory, Fiction and the Heroism of Black Slaves: A Semiotic Reading of the Narratives of Kangni Alem and Wilfried N’Sondé

In a context where the memory of the transatlantic slave trade has long been shaped by European narratives centered on abolitionism, this article investigates how contemporary African literature fosters a critical reinterpretation. Drawing on Kangni Alem’s Esclaves and Wilfried N’Sondé’s Un océan, deux mers, trois continents, the study employs a semiotic approach to highlight narrative strategies that foreground the heroism of slaves in struggle. It shows how these narratives weave fiction and memory to outline an alternative framework to dominant accounts, one that emphasizes African resistance to slavery and the active role of slaves in their own emancipation. Ultimately, the article demonstrates that these works challenge historical representations by bringing to light long-marginalized African heroic figures.