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On the move in the (post)colonial metropolis: The Paris Metro in Francophone African and Afrodiasporic fiction

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  • Anna-Leena Toivanen

Abstract

Literary texts convey the complexities of the urban experience in a tangible way. While there is a wide body of work on literary representations of Paris, the role of public transport as part of the (postcolonial) urban experience has not received much attention. This article sets out to analyse the meanings of the mobile public space comprising the Paris Metro in Francophone African and Afrodiasporic literary texts from the mid-20th century to the 2010s. The reading demonstrates how the texts represent the public space of the Metro as a symbol of modernity, a space of disappointment and alienation, an embodiment of social inequalities and as a site of convivial encounters and claims of agency. Through this analysis, the article highlights the role of literature in elucidating the intertwinement of mobility, public space and postcolonial urbanity.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna-Leena Toivanen, 2023. "On the move in the (post)colonial metropolis: The Paris Metro in Francophone African and Afrodiasporic fiction," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(15), pages 3061-3077, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:60:y:2023:i:15:p:3061-3077
    DOI: 10.1177/00420980211053976
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    1. Tauri Tuvikene & Wladimir Sgibnev & Wojciech Kȩbłowski & Jason Finch, 2023. "Public transport as public space: Introduction," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(15), pages 2963-2978, November.

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