Issues of identity and culture in the novels of Chinua Achebe: A study in cultural and existential philosophy

Abstract

Understanding our true “I,” the acting and actual individual that embodies our true identity, is an important subject in existential philosophy. The significance of man and his existence in the world progressively compels us to comprehend our unique destinies and the tragedy of man in the contemporary world. Thus, the concept of human identity is connected to culture and the environment. This work delineates the concepts of “identity” and “culture,” as well as their implications in literary works, specifically in some of Chinua Achebe’s novels. This study also examines contemporary challenges of identity and culture in Nigeria in connection to those presented in the works of Chinua Achebe. This study reveals that identity is a dynamic and ever-evolving process: it is not static, it continues to evolve, and it eventually becomes broadly recognised by society. Moreover, identity difficulties are interconnected within the context of culture, which has distinct dimensions for individual and societal identities. The affirmation of an individual’s, a group’s, or a nation’s identity often involves the establishment of its worth, acknowledgment, and acceptance. The acceptance or rejection of cultural values has implications for self-perception at both the individual and societal levels in relation to identity. In conclusion, this study contends that the concerns of identity and culture must be supported by a great degree of peaceful coexistence in the era of fast globalisation in order to maintain the vitality of social norms despite the accelerating rate of change.