A Comparative Study of the Theme of Identity Crisis in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and J.M. Coetzee's Disgrace

In the twilight of colonialism, the African psyche was rent asunder, leaving in its wake a people grappling with the fragments of a shattered identity. This paper embarks on a comparative exploration of the theme of identity crisis in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and J.M. Coetzee's Disgrace, two seminal novels that probe the existential predicament of individuals caught between tradition and modernity. Through a close reading of the protagonists, Okonkwo and David Lurie, this study reveals the intricate web of cultural, historical, and social forces that shape and dismantle identity. By juxtaposing the Igbo world of pre-colonial Nigeria with the post-apartheid South Africa, this paper highlights the shared concerns of identity, belonging, and cultural dislocation that animate both novels. Ultimately, this comparative analysis demonstrates that the search for identity is a fraught and ongoing process, one that is forever entangled in the complex dynamics of history, culture, and power.