Dreams of mirage in Khawla Hamdi's expatriation of the Jasmin (2015) and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah (2013)

Abstract

To what extent does migration contribute to fulfilling individual aspirations and dreams? This paper tries to answer this question through the migration journey in the two selected novels, Khawla Hamdi's Expatriation of the Jasmin (2015) and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah (2013), where Jasmin and Ifemelu decide to leave their own countries (Tunisia and Nigeria) to achieve their goals of studying, doing their post graduate studies, and enjoying the western world qualities of freedom and justice in France and the USA. Postcolonial theory will be adopted to highlight the themes of diaspora and alienation that the two protagonists embrace so badly during their long stay away from home in addition to the cultural shock they are going to experience as for Jasmin who is going to be treated unfairly because of her veil and Ifemelu who is going to be called as a negro for the first time in her life. The paper answers the question of the two protagonists “Will they achieve their dreams of freedom, equality, and human treatment in the western world, or will they be chasing mirage? They realize that they are chasing mirage, and the ideal image of the western world is scattered, they conclude that they can achieve success anywhere without having to migrate, and the first step on the way to success starts from the inside.