Representing African Subjectivities: Assimilation and Alienation in Americanah and Open City from an Afropolitan Perspective

Abstract

Scholarly discussions of Africa and how it is portrayed in modern novels are changing from the conventional view that the continent is a place of proletarian struggle. Contemporary scholarly discussions regarding the portrayals of Africa and African identities in African diasporic stories have indicated that class and capital have emerged as crucial factors, complicating prevailing discussions surrounding race, identity, and culture. This paper contends that by utilizing transnational technologies and showcasing upper-middle-class experiences, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah and Teju Cole’s Open City highlight intricate negotiations of identity, especially regarding adaptation to Western cultural contexts and the persistent yearning for a sense of belonging that remains unfulfilled. Moving away from the earlier concerns of African authors with national identity and political matters, as well as their defense of Africa in civilizational terms, both works challenge the celebratory narrative typically linked to Afropolitanism, emphasizing the emotional and socio-economic conflicts that shape global African identities. My paper seeks to explore this evolving terrain within African diasporic narratives, focusing on the concepts of assimilation and belonging through the perspective of Afropolitanism.