A Comparative Analysis of the Family Society Dynamics in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s by the Sea and Chinelo Okparanta’s Under the Udala Trees

Abstract

This study delves into family and societal dynamics of Abdulrazak Gurnah’s By the Sea and Chinelo Okparanta’s Under the Udala Trees using postcolonial and Psychoanalytical theories. The family, in most African societies, has evolved since colonial times. Colonial cultures have overtaken part of indigenous ones. That notwithstanding, civilization continuously adds onto the changes in African cultures. The two texts under study, both written after independence, have traces of these changes. This study points these out and discusses the reasons they thrive and possible solutions, using the backgrounds of the writers and the nature of their characters.