Self-heroification, Demystification, and Villainisation in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide Memoirs: A Study of Paul Rusesabagina’s An Ordinary Man: The True Story Behind Hotel Rwanda and Edouard Kayihura’s Inside the Hotel Rwanda: The Surprising True Story… and

Abstract

This paper explores the dynamics of self-heroification, demystification, and villainization as portrayed through a counter discourse between Paul Rusesabagina’s An Ordinary Man: The True Story Behind Hotel Rwanda and Edouard Kayihura’s Inside the Hotel Rwanda: The Surprising True Story… and Why It Matters Today. “Self-heroification’’ in this paper refers to the act of presenting oneself as a hero, often through self-aggrandisement and selective narration, while “demystification” and “villainization” are understood as the deconstruction and critical reassessment of self-fashioned heroism. These interrelated concepts are examined through the theoretical lenses of New Historicism and Narratology. By analysing the narrative techniques employed in both memoirs, this paper explores how the authors, as individuals, construct/reconstruct (framing) personal accounts (memory) of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and simultaneously deconstructing each other’s narratives of the genocide. The research involves a close reading of the selected texts with particular focus on how diction, narrative structure, and authorial bias shape the construction of Rusesabagina as either a heroic savior or a self-serving controversial figure. My findings suggest that the two memoirs, while valuable historical sources, are inevitably influenced by the subjective perspectives of their authors, resulting in contrasting interpretations of the same historical event. This research emphasises the need for critical engagement with personal narratives in post-genocide literature on the 1994 Rwandan genocide and underscores the complexities of memory, trauma, and identity in reconstructing history. Ultimately, the study contributes to broader discourses on representation in African Literature and genocide studies, highlighting the vital role of perspective in shaping historical storytelling.

Keywords: Memory, Demystification, Heroification, Rwanda Genocide, Villanization