Loss Of Identity And Racial Melancholy In Nadine Gordimer’s Burger’s Daughter And Zakes Mda’s The Madonna Of Excelsior

ABSTRACT

Loss of identity and racial melancholy are essential in a postcolonial Namibia; the feeling of

not belonging is brought to the fore in this study. This thesis is an exploration of racial

melancholy and loss of identity in Zakes Mda’s, The Madonna of Excelsior (2002) and Nadine

Gordimer’s Burger’s Daughter (1979). The main aim of the research is to examine, discuss and

explore how the two concepts are presented in the two novels under investigation. The study is

a desktop study, as the researcher was not in the field to collect data. All the data was collected

from the written texts and was guided by the research objectives. The researcher purposively

selected the two novels, so the purposive sampling technique was used. The study used a

qualitative research approach. This approach was essential as it deals with written information

and making judgement from the texts. The critical race theory and Erikson’s theory of human

development were employed in this study. The critical race theory was vital as it states that

racism is engrained in the fabric of postcolonial societies (Delgado and Stefancic, 2012). The

Erikson theory of human development asserts that, for human beings to develop fully, they

encounter different hindrances in the course of their lives (O’Brien, 2010). The findings suggest

that there are severe issues lead to loss of identity and racial melancholy. Loss of identity and

racial melancholy are exacerbated by racism, apartheid, cultural and linguistic identity. Loss of

identity and racial melancholy thrive in a racially segregated environment where there is an

abuse of power. The study also contributed to the field of knowledge on contemporary

postcolonial studies, which has proven a valuable reference device to students, politicians, and

academics studying African and Namibian literature.