The Inseparability of Origin and Identity
(Historicizing and Reactivating Mother Country in No Telephone to Heaven by the Jamaican American Michelle Cliff)
Abstract
This paper reflects Cliff's strategy in dealing with the postcolonial problem of belonging and identity. It highlights her emphasis on the responsibility of colonialism and neo-colonialism for creating a diasporan world. Cliff's viewpoint is that the place of origin is a central part of one's identity. One may live in several locations but birthplace remains a fixed point of reference. Her strategy consists in connecting with her place of origin by reinterpreting its history. She believes that the greatest tragedy is when people lose the awareness of their roots. Furthermore, Cliff questions the oppression of women and sees that political struggle is the only means for the oppressed people to affirm their identities. The paper shows how the novelist is marked by her idea of the relation between mother and motherland. With her powerful imagery of feminine Jamaica, Cliff has the audacity referring to her island, not England, as motherland.
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