Surname 1

Name

Instructor

Course Name

Due Date

Lived Experiences Through Literary Criticism

Abstract

This article takes a literary criticism trip, reading "The Dilemma of a Ghost" and "Black

and Female" by Ama Ata Aidoo to see where personal experience and African literature

converge. This work seeks to unravel the complexities around cultural identity, gender, and

societal expectations since we all read these works from diverse experiential backgrounds. This

work delves into the narratives that have shaped our understanding of African literature by

drawing on literary criticism as its foundation and using careful reading to substantiate its

assertions. As a result, this investigation joins the many conversations centring on the many

stories preserved in African literature as a means of fusing personal experience with literature in

general.

Introduction

Towards the close of literary studies for this semester, we have been engaging in various

African readings that came out as a complex web of stories, cultures and histories. These various

stories from all over the continent and from those who have migrated have not only enlightened

us on other cultures through literature but also forced us to ponder our own lives. This article

starts on its journey of literary criticism with a discussion of how our personal experiences and

the books that helped us understand African literature shaped our thinking about it. This essay
 Surname 2

will focus on two stories, "The Dilemma of a Ghost" and "Black and Female," which make us

think about how identity, society, and gender affect our lives.

Personal Lenses

The point behind this is that one cannot just read a book; literature is not a passive

experience; it is an interactive process influenced by our lenses, which consist of our life

experiences, cultural backgrounds and social situations. Different lenses we use to approach

literature shape the way we understand it and deepen our thinking on texts. We are not tabula

rasa of reading; we bring histories, values, or points of view into the story.

Our pasts are like silent co-authors when talking about books. Everything that has

happened to you, big or small, every triumph and failure and every moment of self-discovery

transforms the meanings of words on a page as if they were a mirror. For instance, if someone

has experienced the death of someone they love, their understanding of certain books may

become more relatable. Similarly, someone who has gone through difficult times might find

relevance in characters who are strong-willed. Such personal memories not only affect us

emotionally when reading, but they also determine how deep our response towards characters or

stories is.

Our cultural background gives depth to our writing experiences in yet another dimension.

We all belong to different cultures, and within these cultures, there are quite some traditions,

customs, and beliefs that directly influence our learning processes. The reasons for which written

works are done could either lead us back home to our roots from where it all began or allow us to

see different aspects our societies have been divided among themselves.' Someone from a

particular cultural group could easily pick up on subtle nuances, references and insights which

would be lost by any reader who comes from a different cultural background.'
 Surname 3

Our critical path takes off from this intricate dance between the personal and literary.

Different people take different paths, and only some readers will understand the book in the same

way. Rather than being problematic, this diversity is what makes literature so beautiful; it

enables people to communicate with one another and have an appreciation of various things. It

makes us think of and respect numerous voices that contribute to the world of writing, which

may be compared to a multicoloured tapestry woven together by individual threads.

In reading, we make the text more captivating and, at the same time, experience the world

behind and beyond it through our own eyes. As if compasses, they are a way into stories as well

as readings that form part of a complete text. In summary, our perspectives contribute greatly to

making reading an extremely personal and transformative act. The meshing of our personal and

literary worlds offers room for inquiry, thoughtfulness, and connection.

The Dilemma of a Ghost

Ama Ata Aidoo's "The Dilemma of a Ghost" is not only an excellent story, but it also

transcends its narrative to immerse the resssssader in a complex Ghanaian post-colonial society.

As I read Ama Ata Aidoo's "The Dilemma of a Ghost," certain things about the characters'

predicaments echo my own experience and painfully show the conflict between the past and

present. Societal tensions are seen through Ato and Eulalie, who find themselves in a dilemma

that represents the fight for identity in a fast-changing society with old traditions still alive(Aidoo

35). In this sense, Aidoo creates a story that reflects on how people balance their traditional

cultures with the shifting global order.

As I read this book, it becomes apparent that culture and changes in society have largely

shaped me. However, when Ato and Eulalie return to Ghana after their own experience in

America, they grapple with traditional values associated with their heritage and familial
 Surname 4

responsibility(Atoo 245). As depicted from my own experiences, this juxtaposition of cultures

heightens post-colonial identity formation challenges. The notion of Ato acting as an ambassador

of his culture while Eulalie gets socialized into her newly acquired world is very real, not just to

me but to other people like me who live between different cultural worlds.

These spirits haunting Ato and Eulalie are symbolic interpretations of Ghana's developing

identity. Aidoo manages to make this novel timeless, thus making readers question themselves

what their roles have been in the battle between tradition and modernity. Such clashes do not

happen at some unknown places but are lived realities that influence how I perceive what

confronts these characters. Beyond being a story, "The Dilemma of a Ghost" opens up an

opportunity for readers to think about the difficulties they face when it comes to their identity in

light of monumental cultural and societal shifts. The characters in this book represent the

entangled lives of individuals who find themselves torn between tradition and modernity. Hence,

while I get more absorbed into the story, I learn that I am not only observing but also

participating in it by finding links between my predicaments caused by cultural demands and

social transformations and those faced by the persons depicted.

Black and Female

In literature, race and gender narratives intersect. They show the many areas of 'Being

Black and Female.' This African woman's work has witnessed numerous challenges and

successes in the lives of black women. This story is set in a world where the main character faces

barriers and expectations that arise from her race and gender. As a woman from Africa, I can

relate to what happens there(Aidoo). "Black and Female" actually depicts the lives of many black

women who depict ordeals, victories and daily struggles against societal norms, thereby showing

us a bitter reflection on identity.

The readers can understand that the main character is experiencing intersectionality

between her blackness and being a woman. The term novel does not show how the characters are

multidimensional. It becomes a body that reflects personal dreaming, normativity in society, and

never-ending aspirations for selfhood. The good thing about this story is that it challenges

stereotypes about black women. It goes beyond the stereotype to become one among other

individualism related to black women, which contrasts generally held opinions about them.

Sometimes, these ideas resonate with me when I have to see myself racially or through the

gender lens in some places. "Black and Female," moreover, forces readers to ask themselves

questions on how privilege intersects with marginalization based on race or gender (Aidoo). The

journey of the protagonist illustrates how cultural institutions influence the stories of black

women within their communities in general. For me, it helps to look back at systems in our

societies that shape me, as well as ask critical questions on the dynamics of those intersections.

Conclusion

To sum up, this literary criticism acts as a looking glass that allows me to tie up my own

personal experiences with literature readings we have been doing throughout this semester. "The

Dilemma of a Ghost" and "Black and Female" therefore serve as guides for me along the path of

cultural identity versus gender using my life's experience.These stories demonstrate how

literature can change human life by telling us to review our own narratives so they could fit into

global conversations happening on African writers from across Africa.

Work Cited

Aidoo, A.A. (1965). The Dilemma of a Ghost. UK: Longman.

Aidoo, A.A. (1965). Black and Female. UK: Longman.