Representing Trauma in African Diasporic Literature: An Example of Adichie’s Americanah

Abstract

In contemporary times, the subject of trauma is perhaps one of the most globally discussed subjects and as such, maybe the verb "traumatize" has become a mere cliché in both spoken and written discourses across the globe. In fact, it is apparent that exposure to trauma is majorly at the individual level, implying its non- exclusiveness to a particular society or some societies. This means that trauma is a global issue, though, might be perceived variably by different individuals. However, since Literature as a tool for mirroring the society does not do this at the broad societal level only, but also dwells on issues or phenomena that pattern personal experiences of individuals across different societies, several writers, in the past and present times, have studied the subject of trauma in their various writings. In this regard, this paper explores the representation of trauma in African Diasporic writings, drawing copious illustrations from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah. By employing the Trauma theoretical approach, this paper attempts a psychoanalytic study of the tough feelings of being an African immigrant, dealing with moving, facing racism, and clashing with new cultures. It also studies how trauma affects personal identity and resilience of an individual, adding to our understanding of these experiences. This study further looks into the areas of cultural and historical gaps, as it unveils some differences between the Third World and the West, as well as shows how literary techniques are beautifully employed in the illustrative text, for the representation of trauma.