Maps and the Burdens of Belonging: Identity and Resistance in Gurnah’s By the Sea and Owuor’s The Dragonfly Sea
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines the relationship between maps, identity, and belonging in two post-colonial novels set in the Western Indian Ocean region: Abdulrazak Gurnah’s By the Sea (2001) and Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor’s The Dragonfly Sea (2019). Through close textual analysis, I argue that these novels portray maps not merely as static remnants of colonialism but as dynamic artefacts that both reflect and shape post-colonial identities in nuanced ways. I highlight how these novels depict maps as having a degree of agency, capable of both oppressing and offering pathways to self-discovery for post-colonial subjects. By highlighting the themes of naming, representation, and identity concerning maps across both texts, I argue for a coherent cross-reading of the plurality and contestation inherent in the post-colonial reading of maps.
Source: Open Library of Humanities
DOI: 10.16995/olh.16725
Author: Gargi Binju
Institution: University of Tübingen
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4402012676