Eurocentrism, Afrocentrism, Postcolonialism and Hybridity in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and August Wilson’s Radio Golf
This paper is a thematic study dealing with a postcolonial critical view of Eurocentrism and Afrocentrism in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun (1959) and August Wilson’s Radio Golf (2005). In A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha views Western cultures as superior and she ultimately opts for Afrocent...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Atatürk University
2024-09-01
|
| Series: | Theatre Academy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/4092335 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832086550398107648 |
|---|---|
| author | Olfa Gandouz |
| author_facet | Olfa Gandouz |
| author_sort | Olfa Gandouz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper is a thematic study dealing with a postcolonial critical view of Eurocentrism and Afrocentrism in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun (1959) and August Wilson’s Radio Golf (2005). In A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha views Western cultures as superior and she ultimately opts for Afrocentrism. The spirit of Beneatha will be analysed with a focus on Frantz Fanon’s arguments against ‘négritude’ and Eurocentrism. Hansberry, through the voice of Mama Lena, calls for a union between the African and the American selves, as well as between the Western and the non-Western cultures. The issue of the oscillation between Eurocentrism and Africanness is shared by August Wilson in his last contemporary play where he exposes different facets and layers of identity. Contemporary black citizens have achieved their American dreams of collecting lucre, but they are still grappling between keeping faithful to their African heritage and cultural repertoire or adopting the Western way of life and distance themselves from their roots. This dilemma is best exemplified through Harmond and his wife Mame Wilks. Unlike Wilks, who imitates the prestigious way of life and looks for appearances and social status, Harmond crosses the boundaries of Eurocentrism and Afrocentrism and he tries to find a space for intercultural communication between the Western and the African cultures. The discussion part will relate the two plays to the recent events surrounding Floyd’s murder during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The aim is to examine the critical situation of blacks during crisis and to demonstrate that they are disproportionally targeted. The rationale for choosing a modern African-American text that explores contemporary Eurocentrism, Afrocentrism, assimilation, nativism, and decolonization is to show that race is a universal issue. The goal is to suggest hybridity as the best alternative for establishing a more humanitarian society where different races can be interwoven. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f9e2df7519324773acb1dc7705e95420 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2980-1656 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Atatürk University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Theatre Academy |
| spelling | doaj-art-f9e2df7519324773acb1dc7705e954202025-02-06T12:41:43ZengAtatürk UniversityTheatre Academy2980-16562024-09-012215316410.62425/theatreacademy.152117555Eurocentrism, Afrocentrism, Postcolonialism and Hybridity in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and August Wilson’s Radio GolfOlfa Gandouz0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0005-5832University of MonastirThis paper is a thematic study dealing with a postcolonial critical view of Eurocentrism and Afrocentrism in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun (1959) and August Wilson’s Radio Golf (2005). In A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha views Western cultures as superior and she ultimately opts for Afrocentrism. The spirit of Beneatha will be analysed with a focus on Frantz Fanon’s arguments against ‘négritude’ and Eurocentrism. Hansberry, through the voice of Mama Lena, calls for a union between the African and the American selves, as well as between the Western and the non-Western cultures. The issue of the oscillation between Eurocentrism and Africanness is shared by August Wilson in his last contemporary play where he exposes different facets and layers of identity. Contemporary black citizens have achieved their American dreams of collecting lucre, but they are still grappling between keeping faithful to their African heritage and cultural repertoire or adopting the Western way of life and distance themselves from their roots. This dilemma is best exemplified through Harmond and his wife Mame Wilks. Unlike Wilks, who imitates the prestigious way of life and looks for appearances and social status, Harmond crosses the boundaries of Eurocentrism and Afrocentrism and he tries to find a space for intercultural communication between the Western and the African cultures. The discussion part will relate the two plays to the recent events surrounding Floyd’s murder during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The aim is to examine the critical situation of blacks during crisis and to demonstrate that they are disproportionally targeted. The rationale for choosing a modern African-American text that explores contemporary Eurocentrism, Afrocentrism, assimilation, nativism, and decolonization is to show that race is a universal issue. The goal is to suggest hybridity as the best alternative for establishing a more humanitarian society where different races can be interwoven.https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/4092335eurocentrismafrocentrismamericannessthe myth of négritude‘black lives matter’avrupa-merkezcilikafrika-merkezcilikamerikalılıknégritude miti‘siyahilerin hayatı önemlidir’. |
| spellingShingle | Olfa Gandouz Eurocentrism, Afrocentrism, Postcolonialism and Hybridity in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and August Wilson’s Radio Golf Theatre Academy eurocentrism afrocentrism americanness the myth of négritude ‘black lives matter’ avrupa-merkezcilik afrika-merkezcilik amerikalılık négritude miti ‘siyahilerin hayatı önemlidir’. |
| title | Eurocentrism, Afrocentrism, Postcolonialism and Hybridity in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and August Wilson’s Radio Golf |
| title_full | Eurocentrism, Afrocentrism, Postcolonialism and Hybridity in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and August Wilson’s Radio Golf |
| title_fullStr | Eurocentrism, Afrocentrism, Postcolonialism and Hybridity in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and August Wilson’s Radio Golf |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eurocentrism, Afrocentrism, Postcolonialism and Hybridity in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and August Wilson’s Radio Golf |
| title_short | Eurocentrism, Afrocentrism, Postcolonialism and Hybridity in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and August Wilson’s Radio Golf |
| title_sort | eurocentrism afrocentrism postcolonialism and hybridity in lorraine hansberry s a raisin in the sun and august wilson s radio golf |
| topic | eurocentrism afrocentrism americanness the myth of négritude ‘black lives matter’ avrupa-merkezcilik afrika-merkezcilik amerikalılık négritude miti ‘siyahilerin hayatı önemlidir’. |
| url | https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/4092335 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT olfagandouz eurocentrismafrocentrismpostcolonialismandhybridityinlorrainehansberrysaraisininthesunandaugustwilsonsradiogolf |