Class Identity and Social Awareness in Buchi Emecheta’s Second Class Citizen (1974)

Abstract

This study examines immigrants‟ frustration during the fifties in Britain. Writers from different minor groups tend to convey this frustration to the world. They discuss notable themes and give more insight to the theme of class identity. Nigerian writers are among the black minorities who shifted to Britain during this period. Nigerian immigrants living in Britain experienced all sorts of violence at different levels, race, gender, sex, and class. Through Buchi Emecheta‟s Second Class Citizen (1974), this study will investigate the negative consequences of black immigration at different sights. It will explore the change that affects the protagonist‟s social class, by showing to what extent the protagonist accepts this rapid change of her social class. Moreover, an attempt is made to explore how the main character‟s experiences of domesticity and racism shape her class identity. Finally, this study demonstrates the transformation of the protagonist to a strong independent woman. It also emphasizes the positive attitude she develops about her blackness, and her awareness of her identity‟s uniqueness.