Identity, Erasure and Social Repression: Non-Heterosexual Expression and Liminality in Akwaeke Emezi's The Death of Vivek Oji

Abstract

The study traces the representation of non-heterosexual, non-heteronormative expression and liminality in the contemporary African literature focusing on themes of identity, erasure and societal resistance. The research selects Akwaeke Emezi’s novel, ‘The Death of Vivek Oji’ to evaluate the sociocultural values distinctly impacting Vivek Oji, the protagonist of the novel and the attempt made by his family to erase his non-normative thoughts and identity even after his death. Their denial of his fluidity compels them to reject his true identity and push him to isolation. Non-heteronormativity is resisted by society, and the novel discusses the significant struggle of individuals deviating from societal norms leading to an intense conflict between the need to preserve their identity and social conventions. Compelling non-heteronormative individuals find it challenging to fit themselves in a society that opposes gender fluidity. The paper studies the emotional isolation Vivek undergoes due to societal resistance and cultural rigidity.