Unhomeliness in A. Igoni Barret’s Blackass

Postcolonial theory has disclosed the nuances of the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized. In the 21st century, colonialism still lingers as a trope because of the influence of language, culture, class and politics. However, the rules of engagement have changed to garner subversive qualities. The position of otherness as presented in Barett‟s Blackass happens outside the natural laws of nature. The protagonist experiences a sudden unexpected change from becoming an unemployed Nigerian youth to a nameless white man on the day of his job interview. This is the focal point of the novel. The implications of this change reveals that his social status is greatly improved, although he notices the challenges of being considered a potential source of foreign money. He maneuvers this opportunity to climb the social ladder. The dilemma Furo faces is that he himself must decide who he actually is and where he belongs. He embarks on his self-reconstruction in several ways. He discovers that the only part of his body that had not changed is his black ass. Physically, socially and psychologically, Furo becomes a case study for Bhabha‟s theory of unhomeliness. This study examines the stages in which Furo confronts the problems of unhomeliness. It finds that Furo experiences: physical and psychological homelessness, renaming of the self, resisting the old self, and avoidance of self-confrontation.