Navigating Decentralized Realities: Identity, Belonging, and Transcultural Experiences in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah

There have been major changes in African contemporary literature. It depicts the decentralized realities that Africans experience in the increasingly interconnected world going beyond singular narratives. The devolution of ethnic cultures and the rise of a generation struggling with fragmented ident...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sajjad Gheytasi, Ali Salami
Format: Article
Language:fas
Published: University of Birjand 2024-05-01
Series:مطالعات بین‌رشته‌ای ادبیات، هنر و علوم انسانی
Subjects:
Online Access:https://islah.birjand.ac.ir/article_3039_5f65191afcb9016b8822fd1158dda330.pdf
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850131239535640576
author Sajjad Gheytasi
Ali Salami
author_facet Sajjad Gheytasi
Ali Salami
author_sort Sajjad Gheytasi
collection DOAJ
description There have been major changes in African contemporary literature. It depicts the decentralized realities that Africans experience in the increasingly interconnected world going beyond singular narratives. The devolution of ethnic cultures and the rise of a generation struggling with fragmented identities are reflected in the emergence of new African voices both within and outside of the continent. One of the best examples of this trend is the novel Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Adichie crafts a story that skillfully combines disparate cultural elements—Nigerian and American—while providing a nuanced examination of self-identity and the feeling of being other through the journey of Ifemelu and Obinze. This article centers on Adichie’s use of the idea of decentralized realities to illustrate the challenges faced by African migrants who have to reassess who they are in the face of societies that frequently marginalize their cultures. Americanah draws attention to the intricacy of cross-cultural encounters as well as the ongoing discussions and conflicts surrounding identity and belonging. In a world where borders—both physical and cultural—are always changing, the characters grapple with the idea of where they truly belong. The article explores how Adichie illustrates the psychological and emotional costs of navigating a world that does not always acknowledge their multiple identities by looking at their individual journeys. In the end, Adichie’s Americanah explores the complex realities of the diaspora in a profound way as a representative work of contemporary African literature. The book promotes empathy and a greater comprehension of the complexity of individuals torn between cultures by making the reader confront preconceived ideas about identity and belonging.
format Article
id doaj-art-6b91bcec546f4e2aabf07f2580a5370c
institution OA Journals
issn 2783-2759
language fas
publishDate 2024-05-01
publisher University of Birjand
record_format Article
series مطالعات بین‌رشته‌ای ادبیات، هنر و علوم انسانی
spelling doaj-art-6b91bcec546f4e2aabf07f2580a5370c2025-08-20T02:32:29ZfasUniversity of Birjandمطالعات بین‌رشته‌ای ادبیات، هنر و علوم انسانی2783-27592024-05-014121523310.22077/islah.2024.7546.14393039Navigating Decentralized Realities: Identity, Belonging, and Transcultural Experiences in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s AmericanahSajjad Gheytasi0Ali Salami1Assistant Professor of English Literature, Department of English Language and Literature, Payame Noor University (PNU), Tehran, IranAssociate Professor of English Literature, Department of English Language and Literature, Tehran University, Tehran, IranThere have been major changes in African contemporary literature. It depicts the decentralized realities that Africans experience in the increasingly interconnected world going beyond singular narratives. The devolution of ethnic cultures and the rise of a generation struggling with fragmented identities are reflected in the emergence of new African voices both within and outside of the continent. One of the best examples of this trend is the novel Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Adichie crafts a story that skillfully combines disparate cultural elements—Nigerian and American—while providing a nuanced examination of self-identity and the feeling of being other through the journey of Ifemelu and Obinze. This article centers on Adichie’s use of the idea of decentralized realities to illustrate the challenges faced by African migrants who have to reassess who they are in the face of societies that frequently marginalize their cultures. Americanah draws attention to the intricacy of cross-cultural encounters as well as the ongoing discussions and conflicts surrounding identity and belonging. In a world where borders—both physical and cultural—are always changing, the characters grapple with the idea of where they truly belong. The article explores how Adichie illustrates the psychological and emotional costs of navigating a world that does not always acknowledge their multiple identities by looking at their individual journeys. In the end, Adichie’s Americanah explores the complex realities of the diaspora in a profound way as a representative work of contemporary African literature. The book promotes empathy and a greater comprehension of the complexity of individuals torn between cultures by making the reader confront preconceived ideas about identity and belonging.https://islah.birjand.ac.ir/article_3039_5f65191afcb9016b8822fd1158dda330.pdfdecentralized realitiesoppressiondiasporaidentityamericanah
spellingShingle Sajjad Gheytasi
Ali Salami
Navigating Decentralized Realities: Identity, Belonging, and Transcultural Experiences in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah
مطالعات بین‌رشته‌ای ادبیات، هنر و علوم انسانی
decentralized realities
oppression
diaspora
identity
americanah
title Navigating Decentralized Realities: Identity, Belonging, and Transcultural Experiences in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah
title_full Navigating Decentralized Realities: Identity, Belonging, and Transcultural Experiences in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah
title_fullStr Navigating Decentralized Realities: Identity, Belonging, and Transcultural Experiences in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah
title_full_unstemmed Navigating Decentralized Realities: Identity, Belonging, and Transcultural Experiences in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah
title_short Navigating Decentralized Realities: Identity, Belonging, and Transcultural Experiences in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah
title_sort navigating decentralized realities identity belonging and transcultural experiences in chimamanda ngozi adichie s americanah
topic decentralized realities
oppression
diaspora
identity
americanah
url https://islah.birjand.ac.ir/article_3039_5f65191afcb9016b8822fd1158dda330.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT sajjadgheytasi navigatingdecentralizedrealitiesidentitybelongingandtransculturalexperiencesinchimamandangoziadichiesamericanah
AT alisalami navigatingdecentralizedrealitiesidentitybelongingandtransculturalexperiencesinchimamandangoziadichiesamericanah