Alienation in Ayi Kwei Armah’s The beautyful ones are not yet born (1968) and Doris Lessing’s The fifth child (1988)
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Date
2023
Authors
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Publisher
Université Mouloud Mammeri
Abstract
The present comparative study examined the theme of alienation in two literary works namely, Armah’s first novel, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (1968) and Doris Lessing's The Fifth Child. The analysis of the two texts is undertaken from a comparative perspective by using Pascale Casanova’s concept of Literary Affinity as it is elaborated in her book, The Republic of Letters and Harold Bloom's concept of "Alienation", which is developed in book that bears the same name, Alienation. The two concepts represent the theoretical framework on this comparison dissertation. The main objective is to examine the context in which the two novels are produced, draw parallels between the two authors’ lives and literary careers. In addition, we compare the novels’ structures, settings, and the characters' experiences of alienation. The comparative study shed light on the ways on which alienation manifests through oppressive social norms and study their impacts individuals psyche in the selected novels. Our comparison also revealed that Harold Bloom's Concept of "Alienation" is clearly displayed in the two narratives through the profound sense of dislocation, estrangement, and disillusionment experienced by the main characters in their specific sociopolitical and cultural contexts. The comparative analysis demonstrates the presence of analogies in feelings of isolation, marginalization, and loss of identity. By applying Bloom's alienation, we compared the characters' struggles, their relationships, and the societal factors that contribute to their sense of alienation. Finally, through this comparative analysis, similarities and differences in the manifestation of alienation are highlighted by examining its deep moral and emotional impacts on the selected novels’ characters in relation to their role and place in society.
Description
57 p. ; 30 cm. (+CD-Rom)
Keywords
Alienation, Literary affinity, Family, Society, Identity
Citation
Literature and Civilization