In both Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Witi Ihimaera’s The Whale Rider indigenous identity is a central topic. Yet, it is challenged by the advent of colonization or, in the latter case, by the fusion of ancient tradition and modernism. As such, the aim of this paper is to analyse the literary representation of indigeneity in these novels using Stuart Hall’s dual definition in order to show how indigenous identity develops at the backdrop of colonization and what this means for the concept of identity in a postcolonial context. [...] Subsequently, attention will be drawn to the ways in which the individual is representative of indigenous identity and how this relates to the dynamics between community and individual. This part will contrast the idea of a stable self with a transformative one and thus also establish a connection to the succeeding analysis of diaspora identities in Things Fall Apart, which are based on constant progress. [...] The results will then provide the basis for a discussion of relocation and hybridity to subsequently contextualize them in the concept of diaspora identities and, more generally, postcolonialism. Although the focus of the analysis is on Things Fall Apart the background of the last chapter will be used as an occasion for a brief discussion of the second part of his trilogy, No Longer at Ease. After this, a similarly structured analysis of Witi Ihimaera’s The Whale Rider will be pursued. Firstly, the literary representation of features of oral tradition and orality in general will be examined before attention is directed towards myth as a major constituent of Maori identity and its use in the novel.[...]To embed the representation of identity in the broader concept of postcolonialism, the novel will then be discussed in terms of rewriting. Nevertheless, the aim of this chapter will not be a comparative approach of the ancient pretext as a basis for the modern novel. How have Western influences and elements of globalization been interwoven in the narration? And how do these contribute to rewriting? The result will be drawn on to answer these questions of the significance of rewriting and relocating for the concept of cultural identity.[...] The purpose of this comparison is to clarify the major differences and similarities which is a prerequisite of the contextualization of the concept of identity in postcolonialism as will be done in the conclusion.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definition of Indigenous Identity
3. Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
3.1 A “Collective Self” in Things Fall Apart
3.1.1 History and Time
3.1.2 Oral Tradition and Language
3.1.3 Rituals: the Circle
3.2 The Fixed Individual versus the Adapting Community
3.3 Diaspora Identities
3.3.1 The Notion of Change
3.3.2 Silencing: Orality into Literacy
3.3.3 Relocation
3.3.4 Unwriting Eurocentrism
3.3.5 Hybridity
4. The Whale Rider – Witi Ihimaera
4.1 “Return to History” in The Whale Rider
4.1.1 Oral Tradition and Language
4.1.2 Myth
4.1.3 Rituals: the Spiral
4.2 The Hybrid Individual versus the Collective Past
4.3 Rewriting Indigenous Identity
4.3.1 Influences of Western Culture and Globalization
4.3.2 Racism
4.3.3 Writing Motion
5. Comparison: The Shattered Circle vs. the Spiraling Journey
6. Conclusion
7. Works Cited
Objectives & Research Topics
This paper examines the literary representation of indigenous identity in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and Witi Ihimaera's The Whale Rider, employing Stuart Hall’s dual understanding of identity to analyze how indigeneity develops within postcolonial contexts.
- Analysis of indigenous identity as a stable "collective self" versus a transformative process.
- The impact of colonization on language, oral tradition, and communal structures.
- Exploration of individual versus community dynamics in the face of cultural change.
- The role of rewriting and intertextuality in constructing postcolonial identity.
- Comparison of circular (Achebe) and spiraling (Ihimaera) motifs as symbolic metaphors for identity.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.1 History and Time
The typical notion in colonial discourse further implies that “[t]he African has no character because he or she exists solely as a projection of European desire and [Africans] ‘have no history before the coming of the Europeans’” (Gikandi 27).This had repercussion on literature for a long time. It implied the superiority of Europeans, rendering all non-Europeans as universal and “same”. At the same time it gave rise to a depiction of “a landscape without figures, an Africa without Africans” (Carroll 2).
The Europeans regarded their arrival as the advent of the land’s history neglecting the already existing indigenous culture, consequently, the colonizers deprived the respective people of their indigenous identity, in terms historical and cultural values. In the course of the first part of Things Fall Apart, however, this is not at all the case. The description of the Ibo society is rather contrary to the stereotypical colonial one. This becomes obvious in the initial paragraph of the novel,
Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of eighteen he had brought honour to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat.[…] It was this man that Okonwko threw in a fight which the old men agreed was one of the fiercest since the founder of their town engaged a spirit of the wild for seven days and seven nights (Achebe TFA 3).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the thematic connection between Achebe and Ihimaera regarding postcolonial identity and outlines the use of Stuart Hall's theoretical framework.
2. Definition of Indigenous Identity: Provides a theoretical basis for analyzing identity, specifically focusing on Hall's dual definition of the "collective self" versus constant "becoming."
3. Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe: Examines the Ibo culture's representation through oral tradition, history, and the communal structure of the "circle" before and during colonial disruption.
4. The Whale Rider – Witi Ihimaera: Analyzes the Maori identity through myth and the "spiral" motif, exploring how modern characters negotiate their past within a globalized world.
5. Comparison: The Shattered Circle vs. the Spiraling Journey: Contrasts the two novels, highlighting how colonial impact and temporal settings shape different metaphorical portrayals of identity.
6. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that identity remains a dynamic, evolving process in both postcolonial settings.
Keywords
Indigenous Identity, Postcolonial Literature, Chinua Achebe, Witi Ihimaera, Stuart Hall, Oral Tradition, Hybridity, Diaspora, Colonization, Circle, Spiral, Rewriting, Myth, Language, Cultural Identity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the literary representation of indigenous identity in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Witi Ihimaera’s The Whale Rider, focusing on how these authors depict indigeneity in the wake of colonization.
What are the primary thematic fields addressed?
The core themes include the representation of oral tradition, the interplay between individual and community, the impact of colonial history, and the evolution of identity through hybridity and rewriting.
What is the primary goal of the study?
The objective is to analyze how indigenous identity is constructed in these novels using Stuart Hall's dual definition, ultimately determining how identity survives and reinvents itself under colonial or postcolonial pressure.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The author employs a literary analysis based on Stuart Hall’s theoretical framework regarding cultural identity and diaspora, complemented by intertextual analysis of the novels and their literary references.
What content is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body is divided into separate analyses of both novels—investigating linguistic patterns, structural motifs like the circle and the spiral, and the characters’ navigation between traditional roots and modern adaptation—followed by a comparative chapter.
How would you characterize this work through keywords?
It is best characterized by terms like postcolonialism, hybridity, indigenous identity, oral tradition, and the narrative strategies of rewriting and intertextuality.
How does the "circle" motif function in Achebe's novel?
The circle represents the stable, communal unity of the Ibo people; its breaking by colonial forces serves as a metaphor for the profound disruption of traditional life and the subsequent fragmentation of identity.
What makes the "spiral" motif significant in Ihimaera's work?
Unlike the circle, the spiral is infinite and non-repetitive; it symbolizes the continuous process of becoming, movement, and the ability of Maori identity to incorporate new influences while maintaining a link to the past.
In what way does the author treat the concept of silence?
Silence is interpreted as a consequence of the imposition of literacy by colonial powers, representing the loss of the indigenous voice and the "unwriting" of their history, which serves as a counter-narrative to colonial discourse.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Annemarie Pabel (Autor:in), 2011, Indigenous Identity in Witi Ihimaera's "Whale Rider" and Chinua Achebe's Fiction, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/184244
