The Conflict of Identity – A Study of My Place and Things Fall Apart

Abstract

Identity is a fluid concept that is prone to changes, depending on the socio-political conditions one may find themselves in. This aspect finds its presence in the canon of World Literature – documenting the experiences of the natives as well as the events of colonial invasion. The invasion also brought about a cultural clash and the natives had to face alienation, displacement as a result.  Identity issues have been discussed by scholars like  Edward Said, Homi Bhabha - where they have tried to analyse the undercurrents of colonialism which shapes the Identity and influences it in various ways. This paper aims to provide an insight into the issues of identity with critical analysis of Sally Morgan’s My Place and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Morgan’s text gives the perception based on discrimination, whereas, Achebe reports the story of the cultural clash. The paper aims to highlight the issues related to the identity of a community and analyse how the protagonists in the above-mentioned works were affected by identity issues and how they dwelt with the same.