Ghostly Narratives and Transatlantic/Global African Identity Politics

Abstract

Abstract: Notwithstanding that any allusion to ghosts raises eyebrows, the term congruently evokes metaphysical and existential questions, concepts, and paradigms: death, hauntings, exorcism, healing, and mourning. It may speak to traumatic events—manifested spectrally—that leave an imprint on the psyche. The expression "to lay the ghost to rest" alludes to hauntings and processes of exorcism and healing. This article investigates how these processes condition and define identity politics in the Black and transatlantic world. It taps into contemporary African literature in an attempt not only to map out the literary and social functions of ghosts—as metaphors for historical traumas—and their impact on discursive identity formation but also to probe the role of mourning in healing the haunted. It calls for a critical and sustained evaluation and even denunciation of the historical and traumatic events of slavery and colonialism to avoid a repeat, for the benefit of humanity.