IMMIGRATION AND WOMEN’S SELF-IDENTITY IN SELECTED NOVELS OF ADICHIE, BULAWAYO AND BAINGANA MWAI CATHERINE NYAWIRA C50/23611/2013 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS OF KENYATTA UNIVERSITY. JUNE 2020 DECLARATION This thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any university or for any other award. Signature..................................................................... Date........................................ Mwai Catherine Nyawira C50/23611/2013 Supervisors This thesis has been submitted for review with our approval as university supervisors. Signature.................................................................. Date........................................ Dr. Paul M. Mukundi Senior Lecturer Department of English & Language Arts Morgan State University, USA Signature................................................................... Date........................................ Dr. Waveney H. Olembo Senior Lecturer Department of Literature, Linguistics and Foreign Languages Kenyatta University ii DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my mother Mrs Faith Wambui Mwai, my late father Mwalimu Geoffrey Mwai Mbogo, my husband Daniel Githaka Machara and my son Noared Muhoro, for always believing in me and making me believe in myself…. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT My deepest appreciation goes to God for His grace and provision during the years of study. To my mentors Dr. Paul Mukundi and Dr. Waveney Olembo, you have encouraged and supported me. I am blessed to have your wise counsel and guidance. You took time to answer my many questions and patiently walked with me through this journey. Dr Oscar Maina, thank you for your great assistance and concern on my progress. Prof Obura, Dr Wasambo Were, Dr Mark Chetambe, Dr. Makokha, Dr Mbugua wa Mungai, Dr Mbugua Wallace (r.i.p), Dr Mugo Muhia, Dr Kaigai and all the staff in Department of Literature, Linguistics and Foreign Languages at Kenyatta University, you have always challenged me and given me the tools to become who I am today. I am grateful to Ms. Dorothy Kusienya and Felistus Ndunda for guiding and helping me whenever I came to you. I am grateful to my husband Daniel Machara for your support in my studies. You have always provided me with all resources that I needed to complete my studies. To my dearest son Noared Muhoro, you are the reason why I never give up. I am grateful to my friends and family for their contribution to this work in diverse ways. To my mum Mrs. Faith Wambui Mwai and godparents Mr. and Mrs. Nyauma, this work would not have been possible without you! To my brother Mbogo and sisters Njeri, Alice and Carol, thank you for your unending support. To all my colleagues, especially Sr. Thelma Nkechi and Janet Kilong’i, you people are awesome! I will never ever forget you! iv ABSTRACT This thesis investigates immigration and women’s self-identity in selected novels of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, NoViolet Bulawayo and Baingana. Significant in African diasporic literature is the effect of immigration on women’s self-identity. The study analyses African women immigrant characters in Adichie’s Americanah, Bulawayo’s We Need New Names and Doreen Baingana’s Tropical Fish to establish how their immigration to the USA affects their self-identity and their interactions with others in the society. The research employs the postcolonial concept of hybridity. It uses comparative textual analysis of the three novels and relies on other scholarly works to aid in analysis and interpretation of the primary data. The three writers have bearing on their representation of women characters who emigrate from Africa to the USA and whose movements oscillate between the two spaces. Selection of the three novels is done on basis of presence of common features such as immigration of African women characters to the USA and their identity transformation. The study examined identity transformation among African women characters who interact with American diasporic space, survival tactics they employ while in the USA, as well as how post-immigration women characters relate with both their hostland and homeland. The study concludes that there is a remarkable difference between the representation of African women characters’ self-identity before and after immigration to the USA. It argues that several factors determine adoption or rejection of new self- identity. It also finds that the altered self-identity of African diasporic women in the USA affects the way they interact with both American society and their society of origin. The study recommends further research on the same topic using different novels to establish whether other diasporic texts agree with its findings. It also recommends further study on self-identity of male immigrants, as well as the insights of male African writers. Further study on the three texts may be done in line with tenets of feminism theory to establish the influence of immigration on African women characters’ femininity. Keywords: African women immigrants, self-identity, immigration, identity transformation v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION............................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION.................................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ vi OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS ............................................................. viii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................1 1.1: Background to the Study...............................................................................................1 1.2 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................10 1.3 Objectives of the study.................................................................................................11 1.4: Research Questions .....................................................................................................11 1.5: Research Assumptions ................................................................................................12 1.6: Rationale and Justification of the Study .....................................................................12 1.7: The Scope and Delimitation of the Study ...................................................................14 1.8: Literature Review .......................................................................................................15 1.9: Theoretical Framework ...............................................................................................25 1.10: Methodology .............................................................................................................29 CHAPTER TWO: IDENTITY TRANSFORMATION AMONG DIASPORIC WOMEN CHARACTERS ..............................................................................................32 2.0: Introduction .................................................................................................................32 2.1: The Multi-layered Identity ..........................................................................................33 2.2: Language .....................................................................................................................35 2.3: Dressing ......................................................................................................................41 2.4: Hair and Hairstyles .....................................................................................................47 2.5: Food ............................................................................................................................51 2.6: Mannerism ..................................................................................................................56 2.7: Physical Appearance ...................................................................................................60 2.8: Conclusion ..................................................................................................................66 vi CHAPTER THREE: ADOPTION OR REJECTION OF AMERICAN IDENTITY BY AFRICAN DIASPORIC WOMEN ..........................................................................68 3.0: Introduction .................................................................................................................68 3.1: Brittle versus Malleable Hair ......................................................................................69 3.2: Exploration into the Post- Immigration Woman’s Wardrobe .....................................75 3.3: American Body Shape, Size and Colour ....................................................................80 3.4: Diasporic Woman’s Language Transformation ..........................................................84 3.5: How to Behave in the USA.........................................................................................90 3.6: Influences behind Diasporic Woman’s Choice of Food .............................................93