The other in the novel “Monkey Boy” by Francisco Goldman

Abstract

This article discusses the “identity” theme in the novel “Monkey Boy” by Francisco Goldman; the author has an unconventional approach to the image creation as he considers the identity to be a complicated multidimensional phenomenon. The research is aimed at exploration of the hybrid-type identity in the novel. There are some issues connected with the analysis of that kind of character. The first aspect is to understand whether there is the core part of identity; the next point is to clarify the process of accepting identity and the last aspect is to enumerate the factors that influence the self-identification process. The character of that identity-type can never be included into the group of Ours; he hasn’t got the feeling of “being at home”, that’s why the protagonist searches for the place of residence, which would not be connected to his national and ethnic roots. The author shows the hybrid identity through the language as there are Spanish words and phrases in the American-English text. The non-linear narration helps the readers to observe the stages of self-identification, to analyze the traumatic memories and the process of getting over these experiences. The protagonist accepts different elements of his identity by interacting with the Other when he gets to know things and asks the Other questions; as a result, he develops his own way of self-identification and finds solutions to his internal problematic issues. The research of the auto-images and hetero-images is controversial since the character simultaneously belongs to both communities.