Mobility, Survival, and the Female Body in Laila Lalami᾿s Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits

Abstract

There is a complex network of mobility, survival, and depiction of the female body in Laila Lalami᾿s debut novella Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits (2005). I investigate the impact of mobility on the development of the female identity and body by tracking the identity trajectory of two female characters who transgress cultural and religious boundaries through their acts of mobility. This chapter examines the role that the mobile body plays in reshaping the female identity, particularly when a woman moves involuntarily. The female body responds to certain acts of mobility, allowing for a distinct “bodily identity” to develop. Middle Eastern conventional gender roles are examined to showcase whether they support or hinder the transformation of mobile female subjectivities. The focus of this article lies more on the broader framework of mobility, rather than on migration. The identities of the characters in question are reshaped by their movement both inside and outside their home country.