Historical consciousness and character formation in Yvonne Owuor’s dust
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Date
2017-04
Authors
Karumba, Julia Njeri
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
This study investigates the role played by historical consciousness in character formation
and identity as presented by Yvonne Owuor in Dust. The desire for an individual to
identify with a certain group of people whether politically, ethnically, or culturally drives
this study to interrogate whether this desire is motivated by the individual’s historical
consciousness. This consciousness is gained from experiences that are narrated by the
people who were directly affected by the historical events. The study is an analysis of
historical consciousness as a thematic concern and an examination of how this has been
achieved. It interrogates the relationship between historical consciousness, character
formation and identity. The researcher analyses selected characters in Dust who rely on
the history learnt from their parents or other sources to shape their identity. It thus adds
knowledge to the existing studies on identity and hybridity since it explores the cause of
identity crisis in post-independence African literature. The research has based its
argument on postcolonial theory with specific references to ideas advanced by Homi K
Bhabha on hybridity. The study is textual in nature; the researcher has employed textual
analysis of the primary text. This has involved intensive reading and critical
interpretation of the text. The study proves that there is a relationship between characters’
knowledge of their past and their identity.
Description
A research project submitted to the school of humanities and social sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of master of arts of kenyatta university .april, 2017