Hybridity and Resistance in the Selected Works of Abdulrazak Gurnah and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This study examines the interrelated themes of hybridity and resistance in the selected works of Abdulrazak Gurnah and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, situating both authors within the broader discourse of postcolonial African literature. While Gurnah’s narratives often foreground the ambivalent negotiations of identity under colonial and diasporic conditions, Ngũgĩ’s fiction is rooted in the politics of linguistic and cultural reclamation in the wake of imperial domination. Drawing upon Homi K. Bhabha’s concepts of hybridity and mimicry alongside theories of cultural resistance, the research undertakes a comparative textual analysis of selected novels by both writers. The analysis reveals that Gurnah presents hybridity as a contested but potentially transformative site where fractured identities seek negotiation and renewal, whereas Ngũgĩ frames resistance as an uncompromising act of cultural assertion through language, memory, and collective struggle. Together, their works demonstrate how African literature both critiques the enduring legacies of colonialism and imagines alternative possibilities for cultural survival and self-determination. By juxtaposing Gurnah’s exploration of diasporic subjectivities with Ngũgĩ’s advocacy for decolonization through language, this study highlights the diverse strategies African writers employ to articulate resistance and resilience in the face of imperial power.

Keywords: Hybridity, Resistance, Postcolonial Literature, Identity Formation, Cultural Negotiation, Mimicry, Decolonization, African Literature