Ama Ata Aidoo, Dilemma of a Ghost

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Ama Ata Aidoo’s first play, 

The Dilemma of a Ghost

, was performed at the Open Air Theatre at the University of Ghana, Legon in 1964 and published in 1965.  It is often seen as a companion piece to

Anowa

(1970), Aidoo’s second play, and the two works have been published in a single volume (1985).

The Dilemma of a Ghost

foregrounds issues which are central to Aidoo’s literary work and her criticism in its emphasis on the position of women and on Africa’s relationship to the African diaspora, especially with regard to heritage and the legacy of slavery. The play draws on Akan tradition and is framed within a variation of the traditional dilemma tale that encourages listeners to debate social and ethical issues.   

The Dilemma of a Ghost was written while Aidoo was a student at the

2568 words

Citation: Dodgson-Katiyo, Pauline. "Dilemma of a Ghost". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=9399, accessed 14 December 2024.]

9399 Dilemma of a Ghost 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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