Fragmented Identities in Derek Walcott’s A Far Cry from Africa: A Psychological Conflict

Abstract

Derek Walcott’s A Far Cry from Africa, is not only a brilliant exposition of the imbalance relationship between the colonizer and the colonized but also a depiction of the pain of a man who stands in-between two cultures. The poem exposes the conflict of the identity he goes through due to his state of dilemma. Throughout the poem he continues his quest to get an identity of his own, but at the end, his endeavor remains futile as he finally confesses his love for the English language as well as for his origin. In other words the idea that pervades the entire poem is the conflict of culture and identity, from where the poet finds no way out.