Cultural Hybridity Reflected in No Longer at Ease: a Post- Colonial Perspective
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Date
2023-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Literature is a reflection of culture and society; besides it is a credible source of culture and shows social changes. Africa is one of the vast continents that contains many languages and ethnic groups who have their own literary (oral and written) traditions. Cultural hybridity and social changes began during the European colonialists come to the continent. African writers reflect cultural hybridity in respect of colonialism.
Thus, this research is conducted to explore cultural hybridity in the novel “No Longer at Ease‟ by Chinua Achebe using postcolonial perspective. The objective of this study to explore effects of colonialism in African literature. applying qualitative method uses textual analysis (descriptive) of selected novel.
Since cultural hybridity is very vast to cover with a single study, this research focused only to cultural hybridity regards to language, religion and norm. It is understood from the novel countries like Nigeria, where colonialists stayed longer time, hybridity of culture is clearly visible. Initially, Nigerians had their own indigenous culture, belief, language and style of living. But following the fall of the country under British colony, their cultures and ways of living was not the same again. Not only the effect of being under colony, but also going abroad for education can also result in Identity crisis.
Therefore, this study concludes that African cultures were victim of hybridity and that was noticed especially during post-colonial period. Besides generations onward was a result of Hybrid culture losing the indigenous identity of its own. And these effects are reflected in African Literature, and in the novel “No Longer at Ease” as well.
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Keywords
Cultural hybridity, Colonialism in African literature