Power, Ethnicity and Sexuality in Kehinde and A Distant Shore - Essay Example

Power, Ethni and Sexuality in Kehinde and A Distant Shore Comparison of Power, Ethni and Sexuality in Kehinde and A Distant Shore The literature written in the context of African colonialism and socio-political transformation of England and other whites’ land often depicts the themes of power, racism, sexuality and ethnicity1. The essay compares two novels written in the backdrop of immigration of Africans towards England and their efforts to settle down in the English society. The novel A Distant Shore has been written by a British writer and novelist with Caribbean background2 Carly Phillips in 2003.

The other novel is Kehinde penned by an African novelist 3Dr. Buchi Emecheta in 1994. Both of these novels depict the themes of displacement, ethnicity and power. There writings are focused upon the tales of the people striving to adjust in the England after facing harsh circumstances at their home town. The novel A Distant Shore deals with the complex changes occurred within the socio-political system of England over the course of time4. There are several themes depicted within the story told in the novel however, the themes of ethnicity, displacement and power dominate the story.

As the story progresses the theme of ethnicity and power starts dominating the tale of African immigrant Solomon and female middle age piano teacher Dorothy. The two main characters of the story developed friendly relationship that was not accepted in the society and eventually Solomon was killed to end their friendship5. The novel depicts the role of powerful racist groups in the English society and shows how lives of people from minority ethnic groups are threaten by the powerful and dominating racial groups.

The murder of Solomon indicates that racism looms in the English society and there is no open place for the people of other ethnic groups to come and settle here. The novel Kehinde, on the other hand discusses the issue of ethnicity, sexuality and power in quite different manner. Kehinde shows that despite being an educated and earning woman Kehinde has little power of decision making for her own life and her husband Albert keeps all the rights and powers to himself6. There are some major differences and similarities in these two literary works that tell about difference in the approaches to deal with the subjects of ethnicity, power and sexuality.

The distant shore emphasises upon the violent and cruel side of ethnicity that ended up life of a person because of his inferior race7. Kehinde, on the other hand is more focused upon the problem of adjustments and misplacement that people of different ethnic groups have to face while struggling to settle at some new place8. The distance shore depicts the power of the dominating race in the English society whereas Kehinde reflects the power and authority of males to govern the family matters and to make decisions of their lives keeping their own priorities at top.

Solomon was killed by the a racist gangster because the racists do not like the friendship between white women and African man and they simply choose to kill the black man because they have the power to do so. Similarly, Kehinde husband Albert has the power to make decision for his family and he didn’t think about Kehinde but give priority to his own planning and wish. These novels also depict the theme of sexuality but in quite different manner. The aging English women Dorothy and Solomon found them comfortable with each other and started sharing their inner feelings and loneliness without having the thought of sexuality however, in Kehinde, Albert married with a young woman soon after reaching Nigeria and didn’t cared about his wife Kehinde who was heading to leave all the goods of her life just to follow her wish to move back Nigeria9.

The sexual appeal of the young wife attracted Albert and he gave his educated and working wife inferior position in the household as compared with the young wife. Realizing this, Kehinde has to other choice rather to move back England10. It implies that the themes of sexuality, power and ethnicity have been discussed in these two novels however; the authors have taken quite different approaches in the depiction of these themes. A distant shore is more focused upon the transformational English society and the violence prevailing on the basis of race and ethnicity.

It tells about the role of dominating race in the society. However, Kehinde is tale of a family and issue of male dominance, racism and sexuality has been portrayed in connection with the family matters and personal issues. References Adebayo, A. (1996). Feminism and African Women’s Creative Writings: Theory, Practice and Criticism, Ibadan: AMD Publishers, pp. 72 – 9 Cox, B. (1997). African Writers, Vol. 1, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons Emecheta, B. (1994). Kehinde. London: Waveland Press Katherine, F. (1995). Buchi Emecheta: Cross-Cultural Conversations, Contributions to the Study of World Literature, Number 61, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press Nathaniel, T.

“A Conversation with Caryl Phillips, author of the novel A Distant Shore” in ChickenBones: A Journal for Literary & Artistic African-American Themes (2003): 1-5. http://www.nathanielturner.com/distantshore2htm Marie, U. (1980). "African Women in Transition in the Novels of Buchi Emecheta", Presence Africaine, Vol. 116, pp. 190–201 Ogunyemi, C. (1996). The Shaping of a Self: A Study of Buchi Emecheta's Novels, Lagos: Komparatische Hefte, 1996 Phillips, C. (2003). A distant shore, New York: Alfred A.

Knopf Petra T.T. Strange Encounters: Nationhood and the Stranger in Caryl Phillips’s A Distant Shore, 2002, Cyprus College, Retrieved online from http://www.tru.ca/cicac/media/tournay_2007.pdf Saez, E. M. “Postcoloniality, Atlantic Orders, and the Migrant Male in the Writings of Caryl Phillips”. Small Axe, 2005, 17, 9(1), pp. 17-39