Bessie Head and the trauma of exile : identity and alienation in Southern African fiction / Joshua Agbo.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Agbo, Joshua.

Series:

Global Africa

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Head, Bessie, 1937-1986--Criticism and interpretation.

Head, Bessie.

Head, Bessie, 1937-1986.

Exile (Punishment) in literature.

Identity politics in literature.

Identity (Psychology) in literature.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

228 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London : Routledge, 2021

Summary:

"This book investigates themes of exile and oppression in Southern Africa across Bessie Head's novels and short fiction. An exile herself, arriving in Botswana as a South African refugee, Bessie Head's fiction serves as an important example of African exile literature. This book argues that Head's characters are driven to exile as a result of their socio- political ambivalence while still in South Africa, and that this sense of discomfort follows them to their new lives. Investigating themes of trauma and identity politics across colonial and post- colonial contexts, this book also addresses the important theme of black- on- black prejudice and hostility which is often overlooked in studies of Head's work. ?Covering Head's shorter fiction as well as her major novels When Rain Clouds Gather (1969), Maru (1971), A Question of Power (1973), Serowe: Village of the Rain Wind (1981), and A Bewitched Crossroads: An African Saga (1984), this book will be of interest to researchers of African literature and postcolonial history."

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. The literature of the oppressed

2. Exile, post-coloniality, trauma: theories and perspectives

3. The ordeals of crossing: from home to exile

4. The black-on-black prejudice

5. Black power and trauma in a shut-in world

6. Fiction through history or history through fiction?

7. Patriarchy and power: women on the edge of the cliff

8. Conclusion: towards the unification of thematic trajectories.

Notes:

Contains bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

ebook version :

ISBN:

0367710285

9780367710286

OCLC:

1227269000