Conflict Between Culture and Identity in Derek Walcott’s A Far Cry in Africa: A Critical Assessment

Abstract

It is beyond doubts that 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 the portrayal of the pains and agonies of a man who is torn between two cultures. The poem deals with the question of the conflict of the identity he goes through due to his state of in-betweenness. Throughout the poem, he continues searching his identity, but at the end, he remains a bewildered and enigmatic personality 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.