THE CONSTRUCTION OF DIASPORIC IDENTITIES IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE'S AMERICANAH
Abstract
There have always been polemical debates within feminist circles concerning the identity and perception of a woman, since gender identity is defined differently by different people with different attitudes. In defining identity through the lens of ethnicity and gender, which in turn composes Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's homeland identity, the study relies on the fluid nature of identity. As Ifemelu, the protagonist, grows up in two different spheres, she develops her character accordingly based on her homeland identity and herabroad identity. Identities negotiate Ifemelu's external and internal worlds. The color of the skin represents a fundamental notion undergirding humanity's sectionalization. Therefore, the study explores how home country identity and abroad identity are constructed, and how she first constructs herself based on these identities. Through the lens of the African diaspora provided by Paul Tiyambe Zeleza. We examine Ifemelu's identification with Obinze, Curt, and Blaine. Using Zeleza's notions of contemporary African diaspora, Ifemelu explores the different kinds of relationships that define character and identity.