The Conflict of Hybrid Identity in Okara’s Poetry_ Navigating Tradition and Modernity.pptx

1. The Conflict of Hybrid Identity in
Okara’s Poetry: Navigating Tradition
and Modernity
Prepared by : Akshay Nimbark

2. Personal Information
Presented By :- Akshay Nimbark
Roll No :- 02
Semester :- 4
Paper No :- 206
Paper Name :- African Literature
Presentation Topic : The Conflict of Hybrid Identity in Okara’s Poetry: Navigating
Tradition and
Modernity
Submitted To :- Smt. S.B. Gardi, Department of English (MKBU)
Email ID :- akshay7043598292@gmail.com

3. Gabriel Okara, a pioneering Nigerian poet, delved deeply into the complexities of
hybrid identity resulting from the intersection of indigenous African traditions and
Western colonial influences. In his poem "Piano and Drums," Okara employs musical
symbolism to contrast the simplicity of African heritage, represented by drums, with the
complexities of Western culture, symbolized by the piano. This juxtaposition reflects
the internal conflict experienced by individuals navigating these dual cultural
landscapes. Similarly, in "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed," Okara addresses
the condescending attitude of Westerners toward African customs, highlighting the
resilience and pride inherent in African identity despite external ridicule. Through these
works, Okara articulates the nuanced struggle of reconciling traditional values with
imposed foreign norms, offering profound insights into the postcolonial African
experience.
Introduction

4. Hypothesis
Gabriel Okara’s poetry reflects the complexities of hybrid identity in
postcolonial Africa, where individuals struggle to reconcile indigenous
cultural roots with Western influences, resulting in both conflict and
creative cultural synthesis.
Research Question
How does Gabriel Okara use symbolism and poetic devices in Piano and
Drums and You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed to depict the
struggles and resilience of hybrid identity in postcolonial Africa?
Research Question and Hypothesis

5. Gabriel Imomotimi Gbaingbain Okara (1921–2019) was a
distinguished Nigerian poet and novelist, often hailed as the first
modernist writer of Anglophone Africa. Born in Bomoundi in the
Niger Delta region, he drew deeply from African thought, religion,
folklore, and imagery in his works. Okara's literary journey began with
translating Ijaw poetry into English and crafting radio scripts,
reflecting his commitment to preserving African oral traditions
within contemporary literature. His notable works include the
experimental novel The Voice (1964), which delves into the
complexities of African identity amidst colonial influences, and
acclaimed poetry collections such as The Fisherman's Invocation
(1978) and The Dreamer, His Vision (2005). Throughout his career,
Okara received several accolades, including the Commonwealth
Poetry Prize in 1979 and the Nigerian Prize for Literature in 2005,
underscoring his significant contribution to African literature.(Britannica
)
Gabriel Okara

6. ❖ Hybrid Identity in Postcolonial Studies
Hybrid identity refers to the blending of cultures due to colonialism, migration, or globalization. Homi Bhabha
defines hybridity as an “in-between space” where identities interact, challenging fixed binaries like
colonizer/colonized. This space resists total assimilation and allows for negotiation and transformation of
identity.(Easthope)
❖ Clash Between Indigenous and Western Cultures in African Literature
African literature highlights the tension between traditional indigenous values and Western influences imposed
by colonialism. It explores cultural conflicts, identity crises, and the struggle to reclaim indigenous languages,
traditions, and beliefs in a postcolonial world.(Easthope)
❖ How Okara’s Poetry Reflects This Tension
Gabriel Okara’s poetry explores the clash between indigenous and Western cultures, often highlighting identity
struggles. His use of symbolism, contrast, and nostalgic imagery reflects the tension between traditional African
values and colonial influences, portraying both conflict and cultural fusion.In Piano and Drums, Okara contrasts the
primal, rhythmic African drums with the structured, complex Western piano to depict cultural duality. In You
Laughed and Laughed and Laughed, he explores the condescending Western gaze on African identity and the
resilience of indigenous culture.(Elimimian)
Understanding the Hybrid Identity

7. ● Symbolism: Drums represent African tradition,
while the piano signifies Western influence.
● Poetic Devices: Okara uses imagery, contrast,
and metaphor to highlight cultural conflict.
● Themes: Explores nostalgia, identity crisis, and
the tension between tradition and modernity.
● The innocence and raw energy of traditional
African life.
● The complexity and alienation caused by
Western influence.
● The speaker’s internal conflict between two
cultural identities, reflecting hybridity and its
struggles.(P., Madhan)
Piano and Drums

8. ● Tension between African and Western cultures in the
aftermath of colonialism Clash between traditional
African culture and the influence of Western culture
Sense of displacement and alienation. (P., Madhan)
"When at break of day at a riverside" (Okara)
● Cultural Dichotomy
The narrator feels like an outsider in his own culture, unable
to fully connect with either the African or Western traditions
that surround him. Intensifies the fear of the gradual loss of
the indigenous culture after the influence of colonizers. The
poem also shows a resistance to the culture and ways of the
colonizers (P., Madhan)
"And I lost in the morning mist
of an age at a riverside keep
wandering in the mystic rhythm
of jungle drums and concerto." (Okara)
Piano and Drums

9. You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed
● Cultural Misunderstanding: The poem critiques Western mockery
of African traditions, revealing colonial condescension.
● Irony and Sarcasm: The speaker reclaims laughter, turning it into a
symbol of resistance against colonial oppression.
● Resilience of African Identity: Despite colonialism’s attempts to
erase it, African culture and dignity endure.
● Colonial Condescension and Cultural Superiority: The colonizer
ridicules African culture to justify domination.
● Persistence of African Identity: The poem asserts cultural pride
and rejects colonial narratives.
● Emotional Depth and Poetic Resistance: The speaker’s laughter
becomes a powerful act of defiance, highlighting hybridity and its
conflicts.(Mukherjee)
● The power imbalance between Africa and the West brings suffering
and emotional turmoil to Black individuals. European colonizers
exploit Africans while ridiculing their culture. Okara exposes this
hypocrisy, revealing a reversal of power.

10. You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed
"You laughed at my song,
you laughed at my walk,
You laughed at my dance,
you laughed at my inside”'
"My laughter is the fire
of the eye of the sky
and it thawed your inside”
"And now it's my turn to laugh;
but my laughter is not ice-block laughter"
"Because my fathers and I
are owned by the living
warmth of the earth
through our naked feet." (Okara)

11. Gabriel Okara’s poetry serves as a profound exploration of the hybrid
identity that emerges in postcolonial societies. Through Piano and Drums,
he captures the tension between indigenous African traditions and
Western influences, using musical symbolism to reflect cultural duality. In
You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed, Okara critiques colonial
condescension while asserting the resilience of African identity. His work
not only highlights the challenges of navigating between two worlds but
also emphasizes the strength found in cultural hybridity. Ultimately,
Okara’s poetry offers a compelling commentary on the ongoing
negotiation of identity in a globalized and postcolonial landscape.
Conclusion

12. ● Understand hybrid identity in postcolonial theory and Homi Bhabha’s concept
of hybridity in African literature.
● Analyze how Okara’s poetry reflects cultural conflict and fusion.
● Interpret the symbolism of drums (tradition) and piano (Western influence) in
Piano and Drums.
● Recognize colonial condescension and resistance in You Laughed and Laughed
and Laughed.
● Identify postcolonial concerns like cultural displacement, identity crisis, and
resistance.
● I understand how Okara’s works align with broader themes in African
literature.
● I can assess the historical and cultural context of Okara’s poetry.
● Explored how African writers negotiate tradition and modernity.
Learning Outcomes

13. Abrams, M.H., and Geoffrey Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Cengage Learning, 2012.Accessed 8
March 2025.
Barad, Jheel. “The Piano and the Drums- Gabriel Okara.” The Piano And The Drums- GABRIEL OKARA, 8
Dec. 2022, blog.jheelbarad.com/2022/12/the-piano-and-drums-gabriel-okara.html. Accessed 09 Mar. 2025.
Easthope, Antony. “HOMI BHABHA, HYBRIDITY AND IDENTITY, OR DERRIDA VERSUS LACAN.”
Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies (HJEAS), vol. 4, no. 1/2, 1998, pp. 145–51. JSTOR,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/41273996. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.
Elimimian, Isaac I. “LANGUAGE AND MEANING IN GABRIEL OKARA’S POETRY.” CLA Journal, vol. 38,
no. 3, 1995, pp. 276–89. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44324962. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.
Laurence, Margaret. Long drums & cannons Nigerian dramatists and novelists, 1952-1966. Edited by Nora
Foster Stovel and Margaret Laurence, University of Alberta Press, 2001. Accessed 8 March 2025.
McLeod, John, Beginning Postcolonialism, Viva Books, 2011. Accessed 8 March 2025.
Micklin, Anna. "Negritude. Movement. Blackpast, 29 June 2008, https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-
history/negritude-movement/. Accessed 8 March 2025.
References

14. Mukherjee, Dr. Panchali. "Happiness in Freedom and the Pursuit of Happiness in Bondage: A Postcolonial Study of
Gabriel Okara's "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed" and "Once Upon a Time as Well as David Diop's "Loser
of Everything."" Comprehensive Advanced Specific Summarised Studies, vol. 3. no. 1, 2019, pp. 60-68.
https://heb-nic.in/cass/admin/freePDF/wrlpnimjve95fhbp8fos.pdf. Accessed 8 March 2025.
Okara, Gabrial. "The Piano And The Drums." Litionary, 19 December 2017,
https://litionaryblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/19/the-piano-and-the-drums/. Accessed 8 March 2025.
Okara, Gabriel. "You Laughed And laughed And Laughed By Gabriel Okara. Pick Me Up Poetry, 2 April 2022,
https://pickmeuppoetry.org/you-laughed-and-laughed-and-laughed-by-gabriel-okara/. Accessed 8 March 2025.
Osbey, Brenda Marie, and Gabriel Okara. Gabriel Okara: Collected Poems. Edited by Brenda Marie Osbey,
Nebraska, 2016. Accessed 8 March 2025.
P., Madhan. “(PDF) Colonial Conciousness and Defilement of Culture in Gabriel Okara’s Select Poems.” Colonial
Conciousness and Defilement of Culture in Gabriel Okara’s Select Poems, Research Gate, June 2020,
www.researchgate.net/publication/342410606_Colonial_Conciousness_and_Defilement_of_Culture_in_Gabriel_Oka
ra’s_Select_Poems
. Accessed 09 Mar. 2025.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Gabriel Okara". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Apr. 2024,
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gabriel-Okara. Accessed 8 March 2025.
References

15. Thank You
….!