Aya of Yop City

"Aya de Yopougon" redirects here. For the 2012 French film, see Aya of Yop City (film).
Aya of Yop City
Author Marguerite Abouet
Original title Aya De Yopougon
Translator Helge Dascher
Illustrator Clément Oubrerie
Country Ivory Coast
Language
Series Aya of Yop City
Genre Graphic Novel
Publisher
Publication date
2005
Published in English
2008

Aya of Yop City is a series of six bande dessinée albums written by Marguerite Abouet and drawn by Clément Oubrerie. The original French albums were published by Gallimard between 2005 and 2010. All six volumes have been translated into English by Drawn & Quarterly. Although not entirely autobiographical, the story is based on the author’s life in Côte d'Ivoire. Aya of Yop City is the second of three books in the Abouet's Aya series, each based on the same characters. All three of the books in the series haven been illustrated by the author’s husband, Clément Oubrerie. It has been adapted into an animated film in 2012 by the same authors.

Plot summary

Aya of Yop City is a novel that follows the lives of many different people living on the Ivorian coast. All of the characters are connected by the main character, Aya, as she assists and helps them through their various dilemmas and daily issues. The book begins with the birth of the son of Moussa and Adjoua. The wedding between Moussa and Adjoua is canceled and Moussa begins to work for his father. His father seems to be very hard on him, but at the same time Moussa is extremely lazy and does not really do much. At work he tends to hit on the women workers, and is always being yelled at by his father. All the while Adjoua is selling fritters at the market trying to provide for her son. Aya takes care of Adjoua's son the majority of the time and is always helping Adjoua while trying to keep up with her schoolwork at the same time. While this is occurring, Aya’s friend Bintou begins seeing a Parisian man named Gregoire.

Another character in the story, Herve, goes to Aya for help. He works fixing cars and is going to end up taking over the business since the owner is sick. However, he does not know how to read and write. It is because of this that he goes to Aya and asks her if she is able to teach him about letters. Aya agrees, as she is always helping out her friends and family. Nevertheless, Aya also has some problems of her own - a secret her father Ignace has been hiding for a long time has the power to destroy her family.

Cultural history

Aya of Yop City is set in Côte d'Ivoire during the 1970s. Specifically, the story takes place in Yopougon-Koute, or Yop City for short. Côte d'Ivoire, a country on the west coast of Africa, was colonized by France until August 7, 1960 when the country received its independence. Félix Houphouët-Boigny led the country after gaining independence until 1993. During this time, Côte d'Ivoire kept close ties with its West African neighbors as well as ties to France. This combination of influences created a unique culture where traditional African culture meshed with modern Western ideals. The post-colonial influence was enhanced by the fact that many Europeans, especially the French, moved to the country after they received independence.[1]

When Houphouët-Boigny took the presidency, the country experienced an economic boom, known as the "Ivorian miracle". This boom led to the creation of the middle class. With this rise in wealth for a portion of the country, many were able to send their children to school, especially peasants.[2] A peak in the primary-school enrollment rates, at 9.1% between 1976 and 1980, reflects this change. Education, along with other social influences, made many, mostly women, aware of their rights. This began to mix African ideals with European ideals. Women began fighting back against legislation which was aimed at sexual inequality and often succeeded in doing so. As many women became educated, they received more and more power when it came to relationships, especially marriages. Another example of the combination of cultures is language. Throughout the country there are many local languages, but the official language of the country is French.[3] Again, these influences can be seen throughout the novel, especially through the female characters.

Major themes

Advancement of Women in Society

Aya is different than the other women in Yop City because of her dismissal of the task of finding a husband. She is completely uninterested in men and would rather take care of Bobby and work towards her future. She is a very driven and independent, which is certainly highlighted throughout the novel. On the other hand, the other women in the novel do not seem to be as concerned as Aya with changing their roles in society through pursuing an education and a professional level career. Rather they are more predisposed to the typical women’s role in Yop City of staying home to raise a family. Aya nevertheless sets a good example and high standard, as she aspires to be a doctor one day. Aya represents the push towards raising the standards of women’s contributions to the community, rather than staying consistent with the historical gender role in Yop City, as displayed by the other women.

Honesty and Loyalty

Many of the characters face problems with infidelity and dishonesty in their narratives—whether they are the perpetrators or the victims, their paths eventually cross in more ways than one, often not in good ways (in the sense that they are often manipulated by or manipulating each other). Aya contradicts this best, being the emblem of loyalty and honesty in the novel.

Family and community

Within the first page of Aya of Yop City, the family units are mapped out, laying the groundwork for the strong family ties and connections throughout the novel. These initial family trees let the reader know immediately that family ties are going to be an important force in the community. Within each scene multiple community members from each of the families interact, showing they are ever present in each other's lives. The close connections between the different characters gives the reader the sense that this community has always been tightly knit. Aya best portrays this sense of community through her relationships with others. She performs many favors for her friends, most notably taking care of Bobby as if he was her own. From living in the same area to getting involved in the family business, as Moussa did, the people of Yop City truly value the family unit.

Characters

Reception

Aya of Yop City debuted to much critical acclaim, receiving a Quill Award nomination, and praise for its accessibility to audiences and for the rare portrait of a warm, friendly, and rather modern Africa. The first album received the Prize for First Album at the 2006 Angoulême International Comics Festival.[4] The series is one of the few works of African fiction in graphic novel form that has gained exposure globally.


Film adaptation

A film adaptation, Aya of Yop City, was released in May 2012. The film was co-directed by Abouet and Oubrerie and was produced by Autochenille Production, the studio responsible for the film adaptation of Joann Sfar's The Rabbi's Cat.

Volume list

No.TitleFrench releaseEnglish release
1Aya
Aya de Yopougon T1
20 November 2005ISBN 9781894937900
2Aya of Yop City
Aya de Yopougon T2
29 September 2006ISBN 9781897299418
3Aya: The Secrets Come Out
Aya de Yopougon T3
9 October 2007September 2009
ISBN 9781897299791
4Aya: Life in Yop City
Aya de Yopougon T4
21 November 2008July 2012
ISBN 9781770460829
5Aya: Love in Yop City
Aya de Yopougon T5
5 November 2009ISBN 9781770460928
6Aya de Yopougon T625 November 2010

References

  1. "Ivory Coast Chapter 1 - Historical Setting". Mongabay. November 1988. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
  2. Abouet, Marguerite. "Drawing on the Universal in Africa." Aya of Yop City. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008. Print.
  3. "Ivory Coast - Primary Education". Mongabay. November 1988. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
  4. http://www.toutenbd.com/article.php3?id_article=1480

External links

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