The novel, Praisesong for the Widow (1983) written by Paule Marshall, revolves around a character named Avey Johnson who finds himself at a crossroads define his destiny generated by years of poverty and a difficult marriage. She and her husband face discrimination and struggle to provide for their children. In an attempt to gain a better position in society, a better neighborhood and a better job, they are forced to assimilate with the “whites”. In Avey's school of thought, the dense population of “whites” was not representative of his identity, but conformity to the majority perspective; however, in the struggle to overcome poverty, they both lose the inner connection and happy moments in their lives that they both enjoyed when they had no money. This is heavily driven by the search for lucrative work opportunities away from home. As depicted in Jamaica Kincaid's novel, Lucy (1990), the protagonist, Lucy, comes to the United States from the West Indies to work for a wealthy white family. It is during his stay in the white family's house that he tries to grapple with cultural identity. In this regard, the novel states that Lucy was optimistic about living behind her cultural identity from her West Indies background; however, over time, Lucy generates nostalgic memories of her homeland. This portrays the hegemonic ideology of cultural identity. For example, start remembering the delicious foods you ate while at home. Furthermore, the cultural representation of betrayal in marriage is replicated in Lucy's new home. Her boss's husband also cheats on his wife, similar behavior Lucy experiences at home when her father starts cheating on her mother. Having traumatic memories from her childhood, Lucy thinks that escaping her homeland will fix and erase her. In particular, the author contradicts standard postcolonial and Caribbean literature in which the denial of one's culture leads to the celebration of a return. Unlike Avey Johnson, Lucy persistently evokes the past; however, he does not come to a resolution or return to his homeland. Over the course of the novel, Lucy becomes concerned, even obsessed with her past and her traumatic childhood. She feels like an outsider in American society and constantly brings up her past and her homeland; however, despite his memories, he does not want to return home or even visit his mother. Such alienation from her family leads to isolation, not only from her heritage, but also from American society. Lucy's connection to her culture, represented through her mother and homeland, is significant in Caribbean literature, particularly in this novel where the return and reconnection with her culture is emphasized as a