Biography Essay

Ama Ata Aidoo's identity as an African woman is a propelling force governing her artistic vision, and she is one of the few African writers who persist in exploring the colonial history of the continent, especially its legacy of slavery-hence the prominence of African Americans in her works. One of the principal characters in the play The Dilemma of a Ghost (first performed in 1964; published in 1965) is African American; so is a character in the short story "Other Versions" (in No Sweetness Here,

1970). The theme of slavery is highlighted in both her plays. In The Dilemma of a Ghost Eulalie's slave origin becomes an issue of contention to Ato's family. In Anowa ( 1970) the female protagonist awakens negative sentiments with her questions regarding slavery: "Did the men of the land sell other men of the land, and women and children to pale men from beyond the horizon...