The Margin and the Rewriting of Exile in Ama Ata Aidoo’s Our Sister Killjoy (1977)

Abstract

This dissertation examines the themes of exile, marginality and identity in Ama Ata Aidoo’sOur Sister Killjoy: Or Reflections from a Black-Eyed Squint (1977) , focusing on howthenovel redefines exile by centering the experiences of Africans while critiquing neocolonialism, reclaiming margin as a site of resistance ,challenges dominant ,Eurocentric exile narratives. The main aim of this research is to explore how exile is not just about leaving home but about losing one’s self and provide a profound understanding of the psychological consequences of exile and alienation. The study adopts Homi Bhabha’s hybridity and third space, Frantz Fanon’s psychology of oppression and colonized psyche, Stuart Hall’s ideas on cultural identity and diaspora. At first, the current study explored the concepts of Hybridity, Cultural identity and discusses the psychological impact of exile. The second chapter focuses onhowSissies’ time in Europe creates an emotional and cultural disconnection. The final chapter investigates the ambiguity of hybridity, critiques mimicry and language loss. Ultimately, thisresearch reveals that Aidoo rethinks exile through post-colonial lens, portraying it as a cultural dislocation and psychological struggle