REVISITING LINGUISTIC NATIONALISM AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION IN BAABA SILLAH’S DREAMS OF THE ISLANDS: A POSTCOLONIAL CRITIQUE

Abstract

The themes of linguistic nationalism and identity construction abound in Baaba Sillah’s Dreams of the Islands. This paper examines how Sillah uses language in reconstructing a national identity anchored in the cultural and linguistic heritage of Kataminian society. Our goal is to investigate how the novel questions the logic of imported epistemologies, especially through the colonial education system, and reimagine new cultural identities based on the framework of postcolonial African literature. A postcolonial approach is used to analyze how the novel engages with themes of linguistic hierarchies and cultural imperialism. The methodological approach lays emphasis on linguistic vitality to unearth the conflict between imposed linguistic hierarchies and efforts to reclaim cultural recognition. In this critical inquiry into language and identity in Dreams of the Islands, it echoes a decolonized future where the voices of the marginalized are made central to national and global discourse.