Ethnocentrism and Identity in Postcolonial Literature Case Study: Americanah (2013) By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Abstract

Identity and ethnocentrism are among the main issues that are discussed in postcolonial literary works. As a Postcolonial writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie focuses on these two issues in details in her novel Americanah, published in 2013. This dissertation seeks to explore Postcolonial literature and places the novel Americanah in its contemporary context. It also aims to investigate the questions of identity and ethnocentrism in Nigeria as well as in America. This work also tackles issues of race, gender, stereotypes and immigration. The essential objective is to prove that America is not dreamland for African immigrants. In order to achieve this objective, the qualitative-thematic approach is relevant to this work, along with a descriptive-analytical method. The main results of this study are: First, African immigrants have no full freedom in America; second, all African immigrants are subjected to injustice in all aspects of American life; third, the American social system is designed to maintain only one ethnic group’s domination over other; fourth, the present study demonstrates that the American dream is unlivable, especially for black immigrants; fifth, it suggests a major consideration of returning to the homeland for the purpose of resolving the identity issue