In-Between Space: Hybridity as Intersection of Identities in Jessica George's Novel Maame (2023)

Ara Haita Alfurqan; Muhammad Al Hafizh

doi:10.24036/ell.v14i2.135119

In-Between Space: Hybridity as Intersection of Identities in Jessica George's Novel Maame (2023)

Ara Haita Alfurqan⁽¹⁾, Muhammad Al Hafizh⁽²⁾,
(1) Universitas Negeri Padang

Indonesia
(2) Universitas Negeri Padang

Indonesia

Corresponding Author
Copyright (c) 2025 Ara Haita Alfurqan

DOI : https://doi.org/10.24036/ell.v14i2.135119

Full Text:

Language : en

Abstract

This study aims to analyse the form and impact of cultural hybridity on the personal identity of characters, particularly the main character Maddie in Jessica George's novel Maame (2023). This study uses a postcolonial approach and Homi K. Bhabha's theory of hybridity and ‘in-between space’. This study examines the interaction between two different cultures, namely Ghanaian and British cultures, and their influence on the formation of Maddie's identity as a female diaspora character. Using qualitative method with post-colonial theoretical framework, this research uses in-depth reading and note-taking to collect and classify data from the narratives and events in the novel. The results of this study show that Maddie forms a hybrid, diaspora, multicultural, and digital cultural identity that intersect with one another. This process gives rise to various impacts such as identity crisis, feelings of alienation, self-negotiation, and the search for freedom and self-emancipation. This study demonstrates how hybridity offers space for individuals to create and re-navigate conflicting identities that generate internal conflict and social pressure. Maame's novel offers a representation of the complexity of the diaspora woman's experience and the importance of hybrid space as a site of identity formation.

Keywords: hybridity, intersectionality, identity, diaspora, Maame, multicultural, postcolonial

Keywords

hybridity, intersectionality, identity, diaspora, Maame, multicultural, postcolonial

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