Exploring the journey of Identity: The Auto-fictional Narrative in Evaristo’s Lara

Abstract

This paper discusses the relationship between personal experiences and creative vision in Lara by Bernardine Evaristo. By blending the different styles of narratives, Evaristo transforms the traditional memoir to a new level, making it a self that is immersed in a rich and diverse history. The study explores the metaphorical concept of Roots and Routes, and the way in which both the biological and the physical and emotional paths of her ancestors by way of England, Nigeria, Ireland and Brazil shape her identity into becoming who she is. The analysis shows how Evaristo uses the verse-novel format to create a web of fragmented family memories, dating back to the Victorian era to the 1970s. The author introduces the notion that identity is not a fixed notion and that it is a continuous process through the lens of her ancestors, who were influenced by the movement and history. This novel demonstrates the way Lara can serve as a mentor to people investigating the mixed-race identities in a post-colonial society, which means that it is essential to be able to appreciate one’s own heritage to embrace the future. The paper concludes that the storytelling method by Evaristo raises the individual memory experience to a larger study of identification and relationship.