Migration and Coping Mechanisms in Samuel Selvon's The Lonely Londoners and Helon Habila's Travellers
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Date
2025-12
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Lead City University Ibadan
Abstract
This research aims to explore the experiences of African migrants as portrayed in Samuel Selvon’s The Lonely Londoners (1956) and Helon Habila’s Travellers (2019). The main goal is to examine how migration affects the mental and emotional wellbeing of these characters, and how they cope with life in unfamiliar and often hostile environments. The study fills a gap by focusing on the psychological struggles of migrants in literary texts, using Psychoanalysis theory and Coping mechanisms theory to guide the analysis. A literary analysis approach was used to closely study the characters, themes, and narrative techniques in both novels. Attention was given to how the authors portray the inner worlds of migrants, especially their emotional and mental challenges. The findings show that migration often leads to trauma, confusion, and a sense of loss. Many of the characters become disoriented and emotionally broken due to the harsh conditions they face. Instead of finding the better lives they had hoped for, they experience alienation, isolation, and despair. Selvon and Habila provide powerful stories of migrant suffering, showing that the search for belonging comes with heavy emotional costs. The study concludes that migration, as represented in the two novels, causes more psychological harm than hope. It is recommended that future research further examine coping strategies among migrants, and that societies take greater care in supporting the emotional needs of migrants as they adapt to new environments.
Keywords: Selvon, Habila, Migration, Coping mechanisms, Psychological effects
Word Count: 250
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Keywords
Selvon, Habila, Migration, Coping mechanisms, Psychological effects
Citation
Kate Turabian