The struggle for identity: Defining cultural and sexual identity issues in Jackie Kay's poetry

Identity can be formed by a variety of internal and external factors. The internal factors may include personal interests and talents whereas the external factors tend to include the place of birth and the surrounding cultures one grows up in. The different combinations of these factors lead to a large variety of identities as individuals associate themselves accordingly. However, this does not mean that every identity will be understood and respected in the same manner, especially those of the minorities. Misunderstanding of identity may in its turn lead to exclusion from society which would mean that there is little space left for equality among all, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, religion, and political opinion. It also provides the idea that one's personal identity depends on the acceptance of the society. Examples of misunderstood and unaccepted identity traits could be homosexuality in sexual identity or hybridity in cultural identity. As poet and novelist Jackie Kay is a Black lesbian woman of both Scottish and Nigerian origins, she is one of the minorities with a marginal identity which may be less easy to comprehend. The hardships of the circumstances Kay had to go through can be traced back in her works as she expresses her personal thoughts as well as the reactions from the community around her. Therefore, this thesis analyses seventeen selected poems from Kay's poetry in order to recognize the identity issues of the marginalized individuals of society by presenting Kay's perspective on the concept of identity. Keywords: Jackie Kay, Contemporary British Poetry, Identity, Discrimination, Society