Identity Conflict In Out Of Many, And Chike

The identity conflicts in the characters of Santosh (Out of Many by V.S Naipul), Aziz (Perforated Sheet by Salman Rushdie), and Chike (Chike’s School Days by Chinua Achebe) is occasioned many things related to the effects of post-colonialism, essentially the American and European cultural image creating a culture shock as well as an economic factor. Both are uncomfortable in their setting and opt to adopt their new environment (Lacan 54). Although they think their new cultures they have settled in will destroy them, they still want to wear and be associated with the new found identity since they think the older identity has become worse. They fail to detach themselves from the previous identity and it continues to hunt them. Ultimately, it …show more content…
Since Aziz’s nose is regarded as his dominant feature, it is thought that the hole in him needs to be what he tussles most with, meaning his own identity is markedly “holed”. Additionally, it is thought to be a place where the external world meets a person’s inside world (1138). Critically, it signifies that the nose is mostly the threshold that excellently filters reality and it controls a person instinct. Tai and Aziz share a story of how an officer who had a big nose just like Aziz’s which itched each time it sought to wan him. Since the officer could not understand and listen to his itch, he ultimately killed himself. In this case, the nose signify intuition with it being an immense part of our …show more content…
He also had two other names, the other name being John a common American name. It shows how modernized Chike family was. The marriage between Chike’s parents who came from diverse backgrounds and the society disapproved upon a union. Achebe pursues to covertly condone this behavior. Chike viewed with great admiration the American culture, especially the English language despite not being fluent in the language or understanding it (Achebe 830). Such kind of fondness with American culture illustrates the effects of colonialism. Chike idolizes another foreign culture ultimately disregarding his own cultural values. Chinua Achebe connects the circumstances surrounding the Chike's parents’ marriage so to offer us some kind of context for Chike's ostensibly strange habits. As well, Chike comes from a traditional Nigerian village where children are thought to be a shared responsibility of all. Someday, a neighbor lady out of kindness offers Chike, at that time four-years old, a yam. Dismally, Chike definitely rejects the piece of yam, informing the lady that his family never partakes heathen food. Notwithstanding her anger, the lady marvels at the Osu’s audacity in refusing her gift. The Osu were thought to be Nigeria's outcasts. The Osu’s were outlawed to possess land or get involved in common rituals. After dying they had to be buried on discrete land, known as the 'Bad Bush.' Marrying an Osu