A GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS OF CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE‟S AMERICANAH

الملخص

This article applies a geo-spatial analysis to Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah and posits that historical memory is culpable in global relationships, especially where it involves blacks and the sites of their colonialisms. The novel charts a route of migration which traverses the Atlantic Ocean and has historical relevance and the potential to define black bodies within a global context. The methodology adopted was a systematic close reading where significant geographical sites were logged and their respective contextual data analysed to reveal their thematic relevance. Findings: the study, through the lens of Digital Geography, reveals a cartographic analysis of realities that are etched on the fabric of home within global consciousness, slavery, colonialism, and neo-colonialism. This study further asserts that the crisscross between Nigeria, America and the United Kingdom adumbrates a cartography of identity, race and agency that is definitive with far-reaching implications. Experiences in the ‘new world’ forces characters to apprehend race, its rigid borders, its socio-economic implications, and the constraining topography African bodies must navigate in order to become and belong. Crisscrossing the Middle Passage unveils historical and contemporary experiences where blacks become aware of race, identity and agency. Thus, Americanah is a novel that delineates the new coordinates for Black Bodies on the global stage.