The Beggars' Strike

by Aminata Sow Fall, Dorothy S. Blair (Translator)

A novel of modern African society depicts the consequences that ensue when a city's Director of Public Health and Hygiene attempts to remove all the beggars from the city's streets

Genres: Africa, Fiction, Senegal, France, African Literature, Western Africa, Novels

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Aminata Sow Fall (born 1941) is a Senegalese-born author. While her native language is Wolof, her books are written in French.

She was born 1941 in Saint-Louis, Senegal, where she grew up before moving to Dakar to finish her secondary schooling. After this, she did a degree in Modern Languages in France and became a teacher upon returning to Senegal. She was a member of the Commission for Educational Reform responsible for the introduction of African literature into the French syllabus in Senegal, before becoming director of La Propriété littéraire (The Literary Property) in Dakar (1979-88). She was appointed the first woman president of Senegal's Writer's Association in 1985. In 1990 she founded the publishing house Éditions Khoudia.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[✨ Helena ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Et voici un autre roman d'Afrique subsaharienne que j'ai détesté. Au moins, je suis constante ! Haha. Ok, donc je n'ai pas beaucoup à dire. Ce livre est très similaire à Xala, le livre que j'ai lu avant celui-ci. Alors, référez-vous à cette critique si vous voulez plus d'informations. La seule différence est qu'il y a des sacrifices humains dans ce livre. Comme Xala, il existe des marabouts, la polygamie et la culture sénégalaise post-coloniale. Je ne recommanderais pas ce roman à mon pire ennemi.



Traduit en anglais:

And here is another sub-Saharan African novel that I detested. At least, I’m constant! Haha. Ok, so I do not have a lot to say. This book is very similar to Xala, the book I read before this one. So, refer to that review if you want more information. The only difference is that there are human sacrifices in this book. Like Xala, there are marabouts, polygamy, and Senegalese post-Colonial culture. I wouldn’t recommend this novel to my worst enemy.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very much in the vein of my observation in the review of my 2017 reading of African books, where I mentioned that several of them centered around the inventive ways that everyday people find to get around, or back at, authoritarian rulers, be they imperialists or some of their successors. Aminata Sow Fall writes about Senegal. Her short novel was published in 1979. The tone is somewhat similar to Thiong’o’s Wizard of the Crow without the ‘magic realist’ (for lack of a better term) aspect.

In this case, an over-zealous campaign to rid Dakar of all beggars in order to promote tourism (a sort of weak excuse for many citizens not wanting to be accosted at every turn by the scale of poverty) has unintended consequences. The book is in fact a sort of comic meditation on the role of begging in a society, for both the beggar and the giver. Which one has dignity and which is greedy? Is a disabled beggar responsible for not working? The question is a little more direct in 1970s Senegal, it seems, where tradition suggests that giving to a beggar, and adding a prayer, can lead to immediate benefits for the donor. But the issue of dignity and responsibility is just as relevant to a contemporary society with hundreds of thousands of people living on the streets in gentrifying neighborhoods.

Fall has woven other themes into the book, although its focus on begging suits the novella length. She lightly explores women’s lingering subjugation, as in part due to the persistence of traditional attitudes and in part due to a religion that allows polygamy. There is a political overlay, in which she contrasts the various approaches a civil servant can take when faced with a bombastic ruler or corrupt boss: rectitude, exploitation, self-preserving navigation. Mostly, though, we enjoy the beggars finding their own strength in community and self-respect.

[LaCitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

E' un libro molto divertente, ma dal finale molto amaro che un po' mi ha "rovinato l'effetto complessivo". Al centro della storia è l'abitudine di fare la carità come mezzo per propiziarsi gli dei e ottenere quello che si desidera. Tra marabut (veggenti), scioperi dei mendicanti, poliziotti onesti e corrotti, figlie che cercano l'emancipazione, è un romanzo molto ricco di temi (forse anche troppi per sole 126 pagine) che dà un bello spaccato della vita a Dakar.

[ThePeoplesProf · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Beggars' Strike
Author: Aminata Sow Fall
Original title in French: La Grève des bàttu (1979)

I have a lot of love for this book. Aminata Sow Fall, a Senegalese author who writes in French, sets her story in an unnamed country in West Africa. In light of a decline in tourism, Mour Ndiaye, the Director of the Department of Public Health and Hygiene, decides to rid the city of its homeless population by means of violent raids, harassment, imprisonment and forced displacement. The beggars, who refuse to tolerate this all-out assault on their community decide to get organized and... go on strike! They collectively move into the Slum-Clearance Resettlement Area on the outskirts of the city. "Out of sight and out of mind," right? Well, not quite. Given that alms-giving is fundamental culturally and religiously in this West African Muslim country, the beggars may be out of sight, but suddenly now they're on everyone's mind. To whom would these upstanding city dwellers give alms now? Who would pray for their success and prosperity? The city folk are thus forced to venture beyond their urban comforts to seek out the displaced beggars, making the long trip out there in their fancy cars, to continue giving alms. Ndiaye, who aspires to become the vice president, consults his marabout (a spiritual advisor) about how to ensure his political success and he is told that he needs to give alms to beggars but only those out on the streets, in their usual spots. But the beggars are all gone now! What is Ndiaye to do? His "war on poverty" has been turned around against him. Paradoxically, the beggars' strike has resulted in the alms-givers needing the beggars more than the beggars need them; the cycle of dependence has been completely turned on its head. I'll let you find out how the rest of the story unfolds and I do highly recommend that you check it out.

While Sow Fall's novel is inscribed within a very specific cultural context, it also enables readers to think about the issue of homelessness more generally, by touching on the following elements: the hypocrisy and ethically-selfish nature of charity and philanthropy; the presence of "the dregs of society" - this phrase is the novel's subtitle in some editions of the book - as an unbearable reminder of how profoundly sick a society has to be to allow the coexistence of extreme misery and extreme opulence; gentrification, tourism, the active role of the state to keep the homeless "out of sight and out of mind" and the violence that this entails; and quite frankly, the *humanity* of the homeless, and the fact that they are real people with real experiences and voices which must be heard. Sow Fall brilliantly succeeds in treating such heart-rending issues with so much humanity and compassion in this short and sweet social satire and page-turner of a book.

[Marieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm wavering between three and four stars. I liked the book; in many ways it's very nearly perfect. the problem is, i'm not sure how to understand the ending. i'm not sure if the author has a position on the problem her story described, or if her intention was simply to paint a picture of Senegalese life at that moment in time. Regardless of the ending, and whether or not it means anything, i really enjoyed "seeing" the role of the marabout. It's something I've read a lot about in scholarly articles and whatnot, but with this piece of fiction I got a much better sense of how things really work. Here's to hoping some knowledgeable folks will help me sort things out...

[Rand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Droll. If the only political fable you can name off of the top of your head is by that gadfly Orwell, give this a whirl.

This story adroitly demonstrates the importance of collective bargaining and the danger in forgetting one's origins.

[Andreas Selvig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really liked the concept of a sort of mutual dependency, and I think the book says some interesting things about charity, inequality, and power dynamics, but wish it was developed in a more nuanced manner. Plenty of avenues for this rather short book to explore to give depth to characters who seem to exist solely in service to the novel's central idea.

[Alice Tremblay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️

"Mais, ton métier, tu l’exerces! Tu es mendiant!"

Dans une société où la générosité envers les mendiants est une exigence religieuse et morale qui assure le succès du bienfaiteur, qu’arrive-t-il lorsque les mendiants refusent de mendier?

Un concept fascinant qui remet en perspective notre interdépendance, surtout dans un univers qui mercantilise la générosité. J’aurais cependant aimé passer plus de temps dans la perspective des mendiants. L’écriture était jolie, mais sans plus; je crois que ce roman l’emporte définitivement par son concept!

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have ever read. We all take our own position in society, however tenuous it may be, for granted. The books alternative title is The Dreggs of Society and the story portrays how all elements including the dreggs are a vital part of humanity.
Many events in this country (England) have led to similar purges of 'undesirables' from town centres in an attempt to present a version of our way of life that is at odds with reality. This story shows with a poetic precision the folly of pretending we are something other than our collective selves. Humour and insight into the tragedy of attempting to run a place and forgetting that not all the people share the same vision make this a most enjoyable read.
I recommend The Beggars strike to anyone who can read.

[Margaret Rowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my introduction to Aminata Sow Fall, read during the weeks after I came back from my first time in Senegal. Some of her images were familiar, even decades later.

Mour Ndiaye, a politician and hopeful for the vice-Presidency, undertakes the project of ridding the city of beggars, who are portrayed as dirty and embarrassing. With the help of his assistant, Keba Dabo (who in reality does the majority of the work), they go as far as physical violence against the city's impoverished population in order to clear them from street corners and make way for European tourism. Unfortunately, there are roadblocks on the path to unproblematic adoption of Western ideals, and one of them is that Islam requires donations to the poor. Mour Ndiaye's marabout proscribes such donations in order that he can achieve his political goals.

Meanwhile, the beggars organize under Salla Niang's direction and in her courtyard. The population delivers their offerings to the courtyard, and the people living there no longer have to leave in order to earn enough money to eat. Because of this, Mour Ndiaye is unable to follow his marabout's instructions for offerings to the poor; his political plans are thwarted and his personal life falls apart.

I read this book as a nuanced and beautiful parable of excess: excess of change, excess of wives (Mour Ndiaye takes a second wife, thereby enraging his wife of twenty years, alienating his daughter, and, finally, losing his second wife because of his political preoccupations), excess of wealth, excess of the West. When Mour Ndiaye sacrifices a carefully-chosen cow but cannot deliver it to the beggars, there is an excess of food which is in danger of spoiling in the heat. This excess, Sow Fall shows us, has consequences. Her book asks us to see the complexity and nuance in a social system, to carefully approach change, and to exercise compassion.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The christian bible teaches that "the poor will always be with us..." but no one really wants them around. Especially, when they are aggressively asking tourists for alms.

Mour Ndiaye, the Director of the Department of Public Health and Hygiene, under takes an ambitious project to remove the beggars from the city. His motivations are suspect. First, he sees the beggars are sub-humans. Second, he has grand political ambitions.

In true modern fabulist fashion, Mour's adventure is one of sweeping successes, minor frustrations, and superstitious interference. His frustrations are rooted in his own failings and moral nastiness and one is loathe to feel sorry for his ultimate plight.

Where the book fails, I think, is in its scant development of the community of beggars. There is a structure set up, a sort of organization with Salla Niang, a strong lady boss, at the head. But as for the rest of the beggars, they exist as a herd, a rabble. Which undercuts one of the messages of the book, which seems to be that the poor are necessary, so one not try to dictate how they remain with us.

[tartaruga fechada · Rating 5 out of 5]

"nowadays, people who live a long way away, in Europe and the United States of America, White people especially, are beginning to take an interest in the beauty of our country. These people are called tourists. You know, in the old days these White people came to rob and exploit us; now they visit our country for a rest and in search of happiness. That is why we have built hotels and holiday villages and casinos to welcome them."

"He had lain at the hospital for five days without treatment, because he hadn't a penny on him, adn to prove he was a pauper he had to have a certificate from the local authority; and as he was too badly injured to go and get this certificate of indigence which would exempt him from having to pay for treatment, he had lain in a corner, behind a general ward, whose inmates expressed sympathy for his suffering by endless exclamations of 'Ndeisan! Shame! Shame!" whenever he groaned and writhed with the pain that racked him."

[sweet pea · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a novel that has stuck with me, spurring a re-read. while the concept of the story is uniquely african (and muslim), the topics raised are intriguing to think about applied to any culture. what is the social function of beggars? can the affluent survive without them? do people have a moral mandate to give to the poor? along the way, the book also delves into questions of corruption in government, sex roles and womyn's liberation, and class struggles. An intriguing read.

[Anetq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hvad gør man når ens hellige mand har påbudt én at slagte en tyr og give den til tiggerne i alle byens nabolag, for at man kan blive vicepræsident - men man selv har smidt tiggerne ud af byen? Og tiggerne har sågar besluttet sig til at holde op med at tigge, så folk må køre langt uden for byen til tiggernes hus for at aflevere de almisser, de som gode muslimer skal give.
En fin lille sag om politik, ambitioner, religiøs dobbeltmoral og kvinderoller i skred fra Senegal.

[Matías Pérez Ojeda Del Arco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imperdible para entender sobre el poder de los marabouts, el fervor religioso Senegalese, la clase política postcolonial corrompida, a lo Xala de Ousmane Sembene... Es una de esas novelas que describen ya décadas atrás, los problemas contemporáneos, y emerge como un ejemplo práctico de la literatura como fuente de reflexión. Por ejemplo, con esas políticas de nettoyage de las calles en favor del llamado desarrollo.

[Lychee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clever set-up, very funny in parts. Would like to read more criticism about it and would then likely have more appreciation for it. Learned that a play based on the book was performed at the Children's Theater Company in Minnesota back in 2001 -- that would've been great to see.

[cozy tay ☾π · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book, read for my literarture class in high school and read it in my african literature class during my undergraduate study. Captures the different classes in the society, Aminata Sowfall isnt a name you would forget after reading this book.

[Opeyemi]

I LEARNT THAT WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO HELP THE NEEDY,AND THAT WE SHOULD NOT HELP THE NEEDY UNTIL WE ARE IN NEED OF THEM

[Scarlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai bcp aimé ce roman qui aborde un sujet assez particulier : la place des mendiants dans la société sénégalaise. C’est également l’occasion pour l’autrice de dénoncer les inégalités sociales et l’hypocrisie des hommes d’état sénégalais

[Breña · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die wichtigsten Motive, die "abgearbeitet" werden, sind Wertewandel, Scheinheiligkeit und die Rolle der Frau. Besonders der Wertewandel ist zentrales Thema, da die beiden anderen als Folgen gesehen werden können. Aufgrund der Orientierung in Richtung der Industriestaaten verlieren nämlich die Traditionen und Bräuche, egal aus welchem Lebensbereich, rapide an Wert. Das bedeutet aber auch, dass die Stellung der Frau gefestigt wird. Dabei fand ich den feministischen Aspekt des Buches zwar deutlich vorhanden, aber nicht zentral. Im deutschen Nachwort ist er der Mittelpunkt der Betrachtung, da steht für mich aber das persönlich Dilemma des ambitionierten Politikers.

Alles in allem ist "Der Streik der Bettler" ein Paradebeispiel für die beiden Seiten einer Medaille, das Sow Fall uns hier vor Augen führt. Und da es vordergründig um das Vorführen von Mißständen geht, wird auch keine Lösung geliefert; der Moral eines Märchens gleich wird lediglich der Unterdrücker des kleinen Mannes bestraft. Wobei wir bei den Figuren wären, und die fand ich ebenfalls tendenziell durchaus stereotyp.

Auch wenn die Geschichte relativ schnell erzählt war, fand ich die Erzählweise eher unspannend, ermüdend; "kantig" trifft es ganz gut. Besonders störend fand ich in der deutschen Übersetzung die immer wieder eingestreuten afrikanischen Begriffe, die in Fußnoten erklärt werden. Vielleicht wollte der Übersetzer etwas zur afrikanischen Stimmung beitragen, mich hat's einfach nur genervt.

Nun hätte ich fast die Geschichte selbst vergessen... Die war durchaus lesenswert und gut aufgebaut, kann aber die Schwachpunkte der Erzählweise und der flachen Figuren nur unzureichend aufwiegen. Aber alleine die Idee, dass die Bettler streiken, finde ich wirklich gelungen.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrated like an old family legend, La grève des battu explores the destructive consequences of neocolonialism on the wannabe comprador. Not losing sight of the class divisions of post-colonial Africa, the story follows Mour Ndiaye as he hollows himself out in a vain quest to secure the vice-presidency. The novel brilliantly reminds us who really holds power in society, asserting the agency of Dakar’s beggars through their self-organization. Their ultimate triumph over Mour tells the oppressed masses of the world to reject the (new) color of colonialism!

Nobody does post-colonial storytelling like the Senegalese. I was introduced to Aminata Sow Fall through her role in Djibril Diop Mambéty’s film Touki Bouki, another entry into the same canon. Her work here stands out as the first example I’ve engaged with where the masses defeat neocolonialism (however small the victory), rather than getting dragged out into its vast, bleak sea like an abandoned pirogue. I hunger for more.

[Juan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creo que es el primer libro que leo de un escritor (escritora en este caso) del África subsahariana. Lo más interesante de leer libros de distintas zonas del mundo es el reflejo de culturas más o menos alejadas de la propia, donde la visión de ciertos temas, en este caso la mendicidad, encuentra un acomodo difícilmente trasladable a la Europa que conozco. Eso es, precisamente, lo que más he valorado de este libro, una visión original sobre los mendigos, seres humanos que desempeñan un papel esencial en el marco de una cultura ancestral basada en ritos y creencias. Aminata Sow Fall logra hacerlo a través de una escritura desenfadada que hace la lectura especialmente amena.

[Louka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for English literature: West African women's writing. It was a great story, and very interesting too. It opened my eyes to issues and perspectives which we are not familiar with in Western countries. We also had a great class discussion about it which made me appreciate the novel even more.

[Aiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un reflet de la société sénégalaise : les mendiants.
Une révolte des mendiants, face à Mour Ndiaye, homme politique, qui a mené une politique de désencombrement des mendiants. Cette politique va se retourner contre lui..
Très bon livre

[Ss]

its related to the strike of beggers

[Shafaat Abubakar · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is very interesting

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books.

[Polly Lebl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a few starts as I tried to absorb the names of who's who....but once I got going I really liked the perspective on it.

[Dorandosmash]

file

[Dick Powis · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Read in original French.)