Abstract
This psychobiographical study employs a novel analytical framework by integrating Donald W. Winnicott’s object relations and intersectional feminist theories to explore the life and literary contributions of Bessie Head, a biracial woman significantly impacted by apartheid in South Africa. Using a mixed-methodological approach that synthesises du Plessis’ (2017) structured four-phase framework and Knight’s (2019) Phenomenological-hermeneutic Life-narrative Analysis (PLA), the research aims to unpack how Bessie Head’s early life experiences shaped her identity and made her a prominent figure in post-colonial African literature. Key themes emerge from the study, revealing Bessie Head’s identity as a dynamic construct continually shaped by complex interactions between psychological experiences and multi-layered socio-political landscapes. The study contributes to the evolving psychobiography and intersectional research fields by providing a deeply contextualised understanding of a complex individual, filling gaps in the literature about marginalised and culturally diverse individuals. By focusing on often-underrepresented lived experiences, the study advances the field’s commitment to social justice. It catalyses future research exploring the complex relationships between individual psychology and broader systemic influences.
Keywords: Bessie Head, psychobiography, object relations theory, intersectional feminism, post-colonial African literature.