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''Yoruba Girl Dancing'' is a novel by Nigerian author Simi Bedford. It was first published in Great Britain in 1991 and then in the United States in 1992. The novel is about Remi Foster, an intelligent Yoruba girl who, at the age of six, journeys from her home and privileged life in Nigeria to receive an education in England. After years of living abroad, Remi begins to consider herself an Englishwoman rather than a Nigerian, despite facing considerable discrimination in English private schools. A bildungsroman (coming-of-age novel), the book focuses on issues of identity in the postcolonial period. The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, making up 21% of that country's population. ==Major characters== Remi Foster - A Nigerian girl sent at the age of six to attend a boarding school in England, Remi is the titular protagonist and narrator. The novel follows her from childhood to adulthood, chronicling her education within several English private schools, her experiences staying with various English families, and her eventual return to Nigeria. Remi is smart, sharp and well-educated, though somewhat naïve due to her age, particularly in the first half of the novel. During her stay in England, she grapples with cultural indoctrination and racial bigotry, as well as her peers’ views of a stereotypical "Darkest Africa". Miss Pickering / "Bigmama" – An Englishwoman who married into the Foster family, Miss Pickering — known by Remi as Bigmama — helps to prepare Remi for life in England. Bigmama, who married a Nigerian man, has experienced firsthand the racial and cultural conflict present in post-colonial England. Knowing full well that a Nigerian child will face racial discrimination in London, Bigmama does her best to groom young Remi for English society. Though well-meaning, her efforts often come off as callous to the reader. Miss Smith – A short, youthful English woman who "tutors" Remi on board the ship to Liverpool. Miss Smith berates Remi for wandering the ship unattended, dismisses the young girl’s intelligence, and generally serves as a nuisance to Remi during the voyage. Mr Lowther – A boatswain on the cargo liner to Liverpool, Mr Lowther forms an unlikely friendship with the protagonist. He shows Remi around the ship and its crew quarters, remarking that only the two of them can “move freely” between the cargo liner’s dual worlds. Kind and considerate, Mr Lowther serves as a foil to the unsympathetic Miss Smith. Remi’s parents – Absent for most of the novel, Remi’s parents first appear only to send Remi off to England for an education. They meet with Remi once again, much later, this time bringing along Remi’s younger sister, Aduke, and younger brother, Tunji. As head of an upper class Nigerian family, Remi’s father’s behaviour in public is a frequent of shock to English strangers. Families – During her stay in England, Remi houses with many different families, all of them acquaintances of the Foster family. In general, these families are a source of discontent for Remi, who feels out of place and unwanted in their homes, particularly later in the novel. Aduke – Remi’s younger sister, who serves as a foil to Remi in the final quarter of the novel. While Remi has decided, by this point in the narrative, that excessive flattery and charm is the best method by which to deal with new English families, Aduke refuses to assume such false identities. She views Remi’s efforts to charm strangers and conform to English culture as not only vain, but embarrassing. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Yoruba Girl Dancing」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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