WHITE OPPRESSION OPPRESSES THE BLACK IDENTITY: EXPLORING CULTURAL INCONGRUITY AND ISSUES OF NIGERIAN DIASPORA IN AMERICAN LANDSCAPE PRESENTED IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADHICHI'S SELECTED FICTION

Abstract

This research explores the cultural ambivalence in Chimamanda Ngozi Adhichi's three stories “The Thing Around Your Neck”, “The Arrangers of Marriage” and “Imitation “collected in The Thing Around Your Neck (2009). The main thrust of this research is to show the cultural ambivalence through the characters of the stories. While reading these stories, one sees that fluctuation, dilemma, cultural destruction, inferiority, cultural hegemony in the life of Akunna and her uncle in “The Things Around Your Neck”, Chinaza Okafor and Ofodile Udenwa in “The Arrangers of Marriage” and Nkem and her husband in “Imitation”. The theme of these stories is about the destruction of African people's psychology. As mentioned in the stories, when Nigerian people move towards the American landscape, they perceive American cultural norms and values, they even want to hide their own Nigerian identity. To get social equality in terms of employment, equal treatment, social dignity, day-to-day activities, occupation, they imitate the American way of life. In this way, these stories capture the cultural ambivalence in the lives of the Nigerian people which has created psychological trouble and confusion for Nigerian people