Aidoo’s Our Sister Killjoy: Cultural Hybridity and Ambivalence of Home

Abstract

Cultural hybridity, in postcolonial studies, is a fundamental concept that dominates many literary works. Interestingly, Ama Ata Aidoo’s Our Sister Killjoy (1977) challenges prevailing views of hybridity particularly in terms of Homi Bhabha’s concept. Therefore, this paper examines the ambiguous concepts of cultural hybridity such as ambivalence of home, cultural negotiating, in-betweeness, and third space in the novel to show the key problems faced by the colored people in the host countries. In this sense, it investigates the applicability of Bhabha’s theory of cultural hybridity to Aidoo’s Our Sister Killjoy, stressing the importance of the ambivalence of home, and uncovering its cultural boundaries for the hybrid subject, the protagonist. It assesses the impact of ambivalence of home in the novel, highlighting its adverse effects.

Moreover, the paper sheds light on the image of the “Other” in the texts, and how Aidoo has dealt with such issue in a profound African consciousness through her protagonist, Sissie. After measuring the limits of the third space and situating the main character in the novel, the study explores the cultural resistance experienced by the protagonist, stemming from an ambivalent feeling towards home. Ultimately, the paper offers a new perspective on cultural hybridity in general, and ambivalence of home in particular. While Bhabha emphasizes the productivity and creativity of the hybrid subject, the paper suggests that cultural hybridity has been a driving force behind the alienation and fragility of the hybrid subject.