Matters of the mind: analysing the depictions of mental health issues in three contemporary African novels.
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Date
2024
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Abstract
This dissertation is a literary analysis, and the selected texts have been examined through the
theoretical lenses of postcolonialism, spiritual realism, and liminality. Although issues such
as identity, race, and culture are examined in postcolonial literature, not many texts focus on
the mental health effects of these issues from an African viewpoint. To better understand the
postcolonial experience in terms of mental health, it is important to not use a Western model
as a universal measure for mental disorders (Nwoye, 2015). This is because different
worldviews influence how mental health is viewed. For example, in the West, mental health
issues are largely examined through a “bio-psycho-social” approach (Nwoye, 2015:306), with
a distinct focus on the self, whereas the African approach also includes a spiritual element
(Laher, 2014; Nwoye, 2015). This spiritual element can be seen in Akwaeke Emezi’s debut
novel, Freshwater, which incorporates Igbo cosmology, thus adding a supernatural element to
the novel. Irenosen Okojie’s debut novel, Butterfly Fish, also encompasses the supernatural,
and this brings up the concept of spiritual realism. The mental health struggles of the characters
in these novels are interpreted from both a literal African viewpoint as well as a metaphorical
lens which sees the spiritual elements in the novels as representations of the mental health
issues faced by the characters. Although Yaa Gyasi’s Transcendent Kingdom does not comprise a mystical element, it does examine mental health struggles that stem from postcolonial issues like identity and racism. All three novels therefore offer an explanation of
mental health that is relevant not only to Africans living in the West but also to other
Neocolonial populations, including those in Africa.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.