The Complex Dynamics of Africanness and Westernization: A Comparative Study Of Dual Identity In African Literature
Keywords:
Africanness, Westernization, Dual Identity, Postcolonialism, Cultural HybridityAbstract
This study undertakes a qualitative comparative analysis of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (1958), Cheikh Hamidou Kane’s Ambiguous Adventure (1961), and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s The River Between (1965), focusing on the complex dynamics of Africanness and Westernization as expressed through the theme of dual identity. Drawing systematically on postcolonial theory, cultural studies, and identity theory, the research investigates how African characters such as Okonkwo, Samba Diallo, and Waiyaki embody the tensions between traditional values and Western modernity. It draws on postcolonial theory to examine the impact of colonialism and Westernization on African cultures and identities. It employs cultural studies to analyze the cultural dynamics of Africanness and Westernization, highlighting the tensions between traditional African values and Western influences. Identity theory is used to explore the complexities of dual identity in African literature, examining how characters navigate multiple cultural identities and negotiate their sense of belonging. The analysis highlights issues of cultural assimilation, identity crisis, hybridity, and resistance, showing how these texts interrogate the challenges of belonging in colonial and postcolonial contexts. Unlike previous studies that often isolate individual texts, this work offers a comparative lens that synthesizes insights across West and East African traditions, emphasizing points of convergence and divergence in the representation of dual identity. By grounding its argument in close textual analysis and critical dialogue with existing scholarship, the study contributes fresh perspectives to debates on cultural hybridity and identity formation in African literature.
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