Pakomatkat ja matkat mielen kaaokseen

paikan, tilan ja kodin merkitykset Jamaica Kincaidin romaaneissa Katoava paratiisi ja Lucy

• Eeva Salonius Turun yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30665/av.74665

Abstract

The escape and the journey into the mind's chaos - the concepts of place, space and home in the novels Annie John and Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid

Since the 1980s, postcolonial theory has spoken of so-called migrant writers. These migrant writers come from former colonies but live and work mainly in Europe and the United States. In their works, immigrant writers deal with multiculturalism and the questions of identity. It is not easy to build a firm identity amid a strange culture that characterises them as Others. Relevant themes are the experiences of fitting in, displacement and the feeling of not being home.

In this article, I discuss the concepts of the journey and its metaphors, of travelling and of home in the novels, Annie John and Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid who comes from the English-speaking Caribbean. I base my arguments on Stuart Hall’s concept of identity according to which postmodern identity is multifaceted, splintered and ever changing. In Kincaid's novels the trope of the journey acts as part of the definition of identity. By leaving, one looks to find new perspectives on building one's self-image. Making a home in a new place is a complex process. The immigrants often find that the only home they can find is in their own selves.