On the impact of migration, 'Blackness' and gender on a young woman's identity construction in the United States - "Americanah", by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Supervisors: Arblaster, Paul
Faculty: Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres
Degree label: Master [120] en langues et lettres modernes, orientation générale, à finalité didactique
Abstract: Migration has been an omnipresent subject throughout the history of mankind. Nowadays, more than ever, it has become a topical sociopolitical subject. Beyond the social reality, it has also pervaded literature: as both a literary theme and a reality at the origins of many acts of artistic creation. Thus, migration has taken a growing place in the past years. The forthcoming dissertation will study the notion of identity construction through the lens of the migratory experience, by looking at the factors that influence the development of a Black female migrant's identity construction in the US. This study is mainly based on the novel "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Based on the novel, we will attempt to depict the character’s migratory experience and identity construction. We will look at how the character faces racial discriminations in the US but initiates resistance through her physical appearance as well as through becoming an influential blogger on issues of race. The analysis will be backed by sociological, postcolonial and Black feminist theories in order to show how these factors and their corollaries can be decisive in a person’s identity construction.