“Persevere it like a man”: Relationality, Respectability and Masculinity in Behold the Dreamers (2016)

Abstract

African migration novels offer interesting views on gender, but scholarly analyses of these texts have not always adopted masculinity in their critical approach. Although immigrant tales are now receiving more attention, studies have overlooked the masculine as gendered, as something socially constructed and individually re-enacted. For this reason, I propose a reading of the novel Behold the Dreamers (2016), by Cameroonian author Imbolo Mbue, that aims to interrogate the masculine struggle of the character Jende Jonga. I use the term ‘relational masculinities’ to explore how the character’s manhood is dependent on his relations with others. I will also include the concept of ‘respectability’ studied by Dominic Pasura and Anastasia Christou (2018) to underline that Jonga’s masculinity relies heavily on his success as an African immigrant and father. This article argues that the protagonist’s performance of masculinity hinges both on his ability to exert control within his inner circle and on his efforts to cultivate a respectable image in extended social circles. However, the pressures of migration within a white neoliberal context generate profound emotional strain, and the systemic obstacles he encounters ultimately thwart these aspirations. This study exemplifies how interdisciplinary approaches —drawing from literary analysis, gender theory and postcolonial critique— can enrich our understanding of new African diasporic fiction and open new possibilities for academic research.