Ocean and Belonging in Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor's The Dragonfly Sea

Abstract

This thesis explores Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor’s The Dragonfly Sea, focusing on the role and leverage of the ocean in the lives of the people inhabiting the friendly and hospitable little island of Pate, located in the East Coast of Kenya. The first chapter provides an overview of the author’s background, a summary of the plot of the story, as well as an analysis of the novel, which includes the characters and their relationship with the environment they are surrounded by. Consequently, it examines the various ways in which Owuor uses the ocean and its natural elements as one of the main leading forces in her novel. The sea is explored from an eco-critical angle, taking into consideration post-colonial studies. Finally, it questions the reasons that drive some of the characters to leave from their hometown, which result in identity crises, and how the sea can become an active agent in determining a sense of belonging.