VIOLENCE OF THE WORDS: A FRAGMENTARY WRITING OF LE PLEURER-RIRE OF HENRI LOPÈS

Many African novelists choose to denounce colonial abuses and post-independence African regimes. Those who take a more solitary path are often suspected of collusion with former colonial powers. Such is the substance of the dispute that arose following the publication of *L'enfant noir* by Camara Laye. Not fully aligning with Laye's logic nor that of his opponents, Lopès views art as an activity that serves as an outlet, a framework for the artist's growth. It is up to the artist to denounce social injustices, create beauty, and inspire dreams. In this perspective, he employs the technique of fragmentation to decipher violence, fragment evil, and trivialize horror in the manner of a psychopath or a butcher. Centered on the bloody reign of Bwakamabé, *Le pleurer-rire* is a fragmented narrative, marked by a mix of genres. This article analyzes the technique of fragmentation, its functioning within the diegetic universe, in light of Lucien Goldmann's dialectical thought, which advocates for the artist's freedom and considers that a work of art must adapt to all temporalities. It concludes that fragmentation provides a framework that allows for the subversion of an established order and the exercise of the freedom inherent in art.