THE TURBULENT PATH TO SELFHOOD: A BILDUNGSROMAN ELEMENT IN FERDINAND OYONO’S HOUSEBOY AND CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS

Abstract

The formative years often shape an individual's worldview and sense of self. The bildungsroman, a literary genre, offers profound insights into how the protagonist is shaped by their upbringing. This paper examines the intersections of childhood experiences, racial prejudice and familial dynamics that shape an individual’s journey toward awareness, disillusionment, harm, and liberation. This paper examines how the formative years either set an individual on the path of self-awareness and disillusionment or the path of self-discovery and freedom through the analysis of the experiences of the protagonists in Ferdinand Oyono’s Houseboy and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. The paper draws from postcolonial and psychoanalytic theories to interrogate the two novels. The paper reveals the critical significance of early life experiences in shaping an individual’s life trajectory. This study demonstrates that, while childhood experiences have a profound impact, individuals can still redefine and shape their own life path.