Un Examen de L’Identité « Africaine »

Abstract

My goal in writing this piece was to craft a cohesive essay combining conventional analysis of literature with sociological theory and insight in my response to the prompt, "Is one born African, or does one become African?" To give more depth to this essay, I wanted to leave certain questions unanswered and leave the reader with questions of his/her own. Having read a number of French novels set in and exposing the conditions in colonial and post-colonial West Africa, and having identified expressions of social, economic, political and personal injustice and unrest in this context, I began to piece together the "African" identity (social, political, economic, personal, etc.) as it evolved during these turbulent times. With my growing knowledge of sociological theories and perspectives, I laid a theoretical foundation for the essay that treated identity as a constantly evolving and transforming entity. As you will see, I attempted to develop this by using the colonnial/post-colonial context as a springboard for expressing the various influences that provide the catalyst for this transformation. Of all of the essays I have written in french, I am particularly proud of this essay because I was able to incorporate my interest and knowledge in sociology into my exploration of french culture and language.