Identity Construction in “The Known World “by Edward P. Jone

Edward P. Jones’s “TheKnown World” analyses social identity. In this odd tale about slavery, a man of African descent named Henry Townsend owns a farm and also slaves. Jones therefore creates a power and dominance system where race is not the only factor. In the story, having a slave is made possible through social connections. By developing a setting and individuals like these, Jones questions both the slave narrative and the neo-slave narrative while improving parts of them. The emphasis of this article is on identity construction and identification. Henry Townsend has been socialised to seek success and power in “The Known World”. Jones depicts black Southerner owning slaves. A former slave named Henry adopts a character to project his power and freedom. Therefore, in the story, freedom and identity are both shaped by the influence of society.

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