Character Definition and Identity: The Case of Code-Switching and Code Mixing in Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun

Abstract: Understanding how code-switching and code-mixing intersect with
character definition and identity may not be easily overlooked in a multidisciplinary
study of this nature. Code-switching and code-mixing are usually common in
multilingual societies. The importance of these linguistic activities, particularly in
communication, calls attention to the need for more research into their occurrences.
Communication is inevitable in building strong human relationships. In the study of
character definition and identity, through the lens of code-switching and codemixing, pertinent intriguing questions to ask bother on how language use shapes the
representation of characters, their relationships with others, and their self-perception
within various contexts. The objectives of this study are to investigate the social and
cultural implications of code-switching on character identity and explore the
narrator's identification through the same style in selected texts. To tackle the set
objectives of this study, the scholars followed the qualitative technique of content
analysis in the study of the selected literary texts. There was intense observation of
some library and internet print materials. The theoretical framework of the study is
drawn mainly from the views of the Accommodation theory of Code-switching and
code-mixing. The study discovers that the act of code-switching/code-mixing could
aid in the identification and revelation of the social, cultural and personal traits of
characters in a text. The same language act could also be a means of capturing and
defining the narrator of the text. It is recommended that African writers writing in
their lingua franca adopt the use of this device in projecting their cultural values,
identity, ethics and language to a wider readership and accessibility.