Radefining African American Identity in Alex Haley's Roots

Abstract

This research paper critically examines Alex Haley’s Roots and discusses how it redefines African American identity. In doing so, it tries to show how African Americans were traditionally perceived. Subsequently, this paper challenges those stereotypes and re- establishes their identity. To achieve it, Critical Race Theory is employed as a theoretical modality. Under Critical Race Theory, the concepts of black consciousness as discussed by Frantz Fanon in Black Skin, White Masks and double consciousness as stated by W.E.B Du Bois in The Souls of Black Folk are applied. The paper reveals how the spirit of black consciousness and double consciousness is expressed in Roots and how these concepts in turn play roles in redefining African American identity. It also shows that the characters in the novel are exposed to brutatlity in the face of slavery but they endure every pain and hardship; therby showing firm resilience and pride which forge their identity in a new light. Again, taking Roots as a representative text in which there is a story of a single African American family, the thesis has served as a medium to broadly redefine the identity of whole African American community. The institution of slavery dominated and marginalized African Americans and to justify their inferiority, they were stereotyped. This research work, however, by challenging those stereotypes and in turn redefining their identity sees the African Americans as the empowered ones. This shows it aligns with the spirit of black consciousness and in larger sense, with the idea of Critical Race Theory. Therefore, a deep exploration of African American identity has been carried out. Keywords: African-Americans, Identity, Black consciousness, Double-consciousness, Stereotype and Slavery