Abdulrazak Gurnah Research Articles

Slavery as a Cultural Legacy: Abdulrazzak Gurnah’s Paradise as a Case Study

Abdulrazak Gurnah is a Tanzanian-born British novelist who won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature. Born in 1948 in Zanzibar, Tanzania (then the Sultanate of Zanzibar). He moved to the UK as a refugee in the 1960s after the Zanzibar Revolution. The vulnerability of slavery has been discussed by many writers. This paper is going to investigate slavery in Gurnah’s novel Paradise1994, particularly in the lives of the protagonist, Yusuf. This paper aims to follow the journey of Yusuf, a young man who is forced into servitude after his father pawns him. Through Yusuf’s experiences, Gurnah delves into how slavery has become a cultural legacy, shaping identities, relationships, and aspects of society. The paper will identify how the characters’ experiences are shaped by their ancestors’ history of slavery. It will also explore how the novel depicts the social, economic, and psychological impacts of slavery on the characters and their communities especially the loss of agency which can lead to feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness. The paper also shows Social Marginalization as a stigma associated with slavery. Individuals are treated differently based on their ancestry. Yusuf’s experiences illustrate how racial and social hierarchies can be perpetuated through cultural legacies.

Mediating Identities through the Recollections of Displacement in Abdulrazak Gurnah's Memory of Departure and V.S.Naipaul's A House for Mr.Biswas

This paper investigates how memories of displacement influence the identities and narratives of characters in AAbdulrazak Gurnah's Memory of Departure and V.S.Naipaul's A house for Mr Biswas. This study explores how Personal and collective memories of displacement in constructing narratives that convey resilience,cultural adaptation and the lasting impact of forced migration.

A refugee history perspective

This article draws upon ongoing research in refugee history and specifically a close examination of confidential individual case files in the archives of the UNHCR to explore aspects of the cultural representation of refugees in different sites of population displacement in the modern world. Reflections by Roland Barthes and Abdulrazak Gurnah FBA provide the starting point to consider visual culture and cultural representation in efforts to assist refugees, such as the UN campaign for World Refugee Year in 1959–1960. No less significant have been the efforts by refugees themselves to make themselves heard in relation to the international refugee regime. The article ends with a plea for scholars and refugees to engage in the co-production of knowledge about population displacement and its consequences. (This article is published in the thematic collection `The arts and humanities: rethinking value for today—views from Fellows of the British Academy’, edited by Isobel Armstrong.)

Exploring Female Agency in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s By the Sea: A Postcolonial Feminist Analysis

This study examines the portrayal of female agency in post-independence Zanzibar, as depicted in Abdulrazak Gurnah's novel By the Sea. Specifically focusing on the characters Asha, Bi Sara, and Bi Maryam, the study employs Gayatri Spivak's theoretical framework to analyze the interactions and responses of these characters in the face of oppressive forces and marginalization. The research sheds light on how these female characters navigate power dynamics, confront their lower social status, and resist oppression through nuanced strategies, particularly using silence. Through a detailed exploration of the characters' experiences, this study seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the agency and resilience of marginalized women in colonial settings. Ultimately, this research aims to underscore the significance of silence as a tool for resistance and endurance, highlighting its role in challenging prevailing narratives and advocating for women's rights in postcolonial contexts. Keywords: Abdulrazak Gurnah, colonialism, female agency, postcolonialfeminism, Patriarchy

“It Began with Naming Things”: Mzungus and Other European Colonizers in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Afterlives

ABSTRACT To trouble internalist narratives of Europe, it is necessary to consider the “external” vectors that went into its making. This paper reads Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Afterlives (2020) as representing a telling instance of such decentering, which warrants particular attention due to the mass mainstream visibility guaranteed by the author’s being awarded the Nobel Prize in 2021. It takes the novel’s tracing of German colonialism as particularly instructive, because German colonial ventures have long remained in the peripheral vision of examinations of European colonialism more broadly, in anglophone postcolonial studies and literary representation. This prompts the article’s intervention in making this other European colonialism its focus. Via an examination of two facets of the novel’s engagement of knowledge-making – naming and recording – I argue that it enacts subversive interruptions of colonial epistemologies. The narrative’s delineating of the journeys of two characters from the colonial “periphery” of East Africa to the colonial “centre” of Germany sees these external Others becoming internal Others on European soil, and requires readers to think German colonialism with what came after. I propose, finally, that in (re)naming and (re)reading archives against the grain, the novel configures ambivalent alternatives to eurocentric knowledge-making, delineating the contours of what colonial archives excise, and gesturing toward what literary fiction can do to sketch flickering presences into some of those absences.

Re-mapping the Postcolonial Heritage of Exile in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Admiring Silence

Being exiled entails significant dichotomy as best communicated by Edward Said (2000) in his Reflections on Exile “[exile is] strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience” (173). This dichotomy between appealing and terrifying lies at the heart of Abdulrazak Gurnah’s narrative of exile and return entitled Admiring Silence (1996). The possibility of reconciling this dichotomy necessitates an examination of the current postcolonial condition and its impact on exile/return. Thus, the fundamental premise of this essay is to interrogate the current state of postcolonialism between narratives of resistance, “writing back”, anger, dichotomies, and narratives of defeat. This uncertain position generates two exilic conditions: an exile, which promises return and emancipation in opposition to a futile exile which generates no possibility of return. A reading of Admiring Silence reveals the current state of the postcolonial condition through questioning the significance of the protagonist’s journey between Zanzibar and England. Keywords: Exile, Return, Home, Gurnah, Admiring Silence

Yusuf in The Well: Contemporary Prophet and His Self-Search in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Paradise

It cannot be denied that art and literature constitute an important part of life. Artists are master individuals who hold a mirror to life and create their works by distilling the essence of life into them. Artists are responsible individuals who do not turn their backs on the realities of the society they live in but transform those realities into art by using their ability to re-construct it. For hundreds of years, they have been inspired by the religious and cultural codes of the societies they live in and use them as raw materials for their art. One of these master artists, African-born Abdulrazak Gurnah, who is also one of the contemporary British writers, is one of those who masterfully fictionalizes reality like his previous generations of writers. The author fictionalizes, in Paradise, the Qur’anic story of Prophet Yusuf and creates a modern prophet. In the novel, the author, who centers his narrative on themes such as rootlessness, slavery, and marginalization, tries to highlight the problems that African societies are subjected to. In this study, the real-life story of Prophet Yusuf and the African Yusuf, who is a fictional character, will be examined in the context of religion and fiction, and the difficulties faced by Yusuf character during his identity formation and self-development will be examined.

Irreducible Difference: Abdulrazak Gurnah as an Indian Ocean Writer

Irreducible Difference: Abdulrazak Gurnah as an Indian Ocean Writer

Reframing colonial amnesia: German colonialism and multilingual memory in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Afterlives

ABSTRACT Cultural memory of German colonialism is too often described as overshadowed, absent, or forgotten, with references to factors such as the short period of German colonialism, its abrupt end, and the relative lack of postcolonial immigration to Germany. This article reframes established understandings of German colonial memory and colonial amnesia by engaging with representations of German colonialism in the anglophone novel Afterlives (2020) by Abdulrazak Gurnah. I argue that Afterlives provokes a rereading of German cultural memory of colonialism by demonstrating its transnational and multilingual entanglements. My reading of the novel specifically addresses the spatial, temporal, and textual layers of its representation of colonial memory and the roles that archives and intertextuality play in its rereading of the colonial past. In doing so, I illustrate how Gurnah’s text insists on the various layers, entanglements, and intertexts between German colonial memory and anglophone postcolonial texts.

Translocation and migrants’ live-in experiences: A literary discourse on select novels

With the huge surge of African migrants in the West, especially in the post Covid-19 era, it becomes important to investigate these migrants’ experiences as portrayed in literary texts by writers. Hence, this research examines the representation of migrant challenges in African literature through a critical discourse on two contemporary novels: Abdulrazak Gurnah's Gravel Heart and Helon Habila's Travelers. Adopting Homi Bhabha’s theory, hybridity, the study focuses on how these literary works depict the struggles of African Migrants as they navigate and interpret both cultures– West/African while in the diaspora in order to survive. The discourse highlights the issues of displacement, dislocation, alignment, cultural identity, and the struggle for survival in a foreign land. By exploring the similarities and differences between the two novels, the paper reveals the complexity and diversity of African migrant experiences as it provides insights into the broader issues of globalization, colonialism, and migration. Ultimately, the research argues that African literature plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the migrant experiences and in promoting social justice and human rights.

Destabilized Identities and the Question of London in Abdulrazak Gurnah's by the Sea

Destabilized Identities and the Question of London in Abdulrazak Gurnah's by the Sea

THE MIGRANT OUTLOOK IN COLONIZED AFRICA THROUGH THE NARRATIVE OF ABDULRAZAK GURNAH

As a representation of the currents of change in the world, the migrant inhabits a dialogic space created on the clash of cultures. They are in constant movement as they assemble their own narratives outside well-established national identities. The present study aims to analyse the construction of such character in Paradise (1994) and Afterlives (2020), published by Abdulrazak Gurnah, a writer recognised by his portrayal of the refugee and the migrants in-between the African and European continents. Both novels were set during the period of the German colonization of Africa (end of the 19th and beginning of 20th century) and depict the relationship between the German colonial troops (the schutztruppe) and their native recruits. The relations of power and the contradictory nature of the schutztruppe reflect on the search for belonging in which Yusuf and Hamza, main characters of above mentioned novels, find themselves.

Going to the Bittersweet Roots vs. New World Blues in Gurnah’s Gravel Heart- A Psychological Analysis

This descriptive qualitative paper aims at presenting a close reading of the protagonist Salim’s reminiscences in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Gravel Heart in terms of an eclectic approach toward representation of trauma. Psychological trauma refers to the unbearable, untreatable, and unspeakable psychological wounds remaining on the subject’s unconsciousness. The most widely used method for studying trauma is based on Freud's, (1995) psychoanalytic study. Alongside with Freud’s theory, Kristal- Andersson’s(2000) and Felititi & etal.,’s (1998) studies are also used to draw the descriptions and explanations of trauma in Sali, the protagonist of Gravel Heart. Also, this study is a clarion call to the authorities at the top to provide a realistic technique and manner of working with immigrants in counseling and provide able and humanitarian assistance- services as the study also found out like many other real heroes, Salim a victim of bitter childhood and as an immigrant.Abdul Razak Gurnah,who was honoured with the Nobel Prize for Literature (2021) for his true and passionate retelling of the woes, longings of immigrants in general, and specifically Africans. in Gravel Heart, one among his evocative oeuvre retells the ties that bind’ as well as ‘the ties that fray.’ (Telegraph) Hence this study would pave way to the emergence of likewise multidisciplinary studies to blend psychological frameworks to investigate the causes of real as well as fictional character’s trauma.

The global refugee: Oceanic border thinking in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s By the Sea

This article attends to Abdulrazak Gurnah’s By the Sea as a critique of the normative understanding of the border as having a singular, prohibitive function for the refugee, and reads it as a call to register the border as a moving and permeable formation. What I call oceanic border thinking conveys Gurnah’s insight into the imbrication of littoral and land zones, and the effect of the proliferation of biopolitical technologies associated with various iterations of colonial and postcolonial bordering, including partitioning, arbitrary detention, deportation, and expulsion. The border’s liquidity — the elemental property of water — captures the valence of By the Sea’s oceanic border imaginary, which, in turn, challenges overdetermined readings of the border as attached primarily to land, and the reduction of the refugee to a presentist conception of race or nationality. The liquidity of borders, here, is not meant to suggest a state of extremity, crisis, or morbidity of Indian Ocean polities; rather, it suggests an approach to Gurnah’s oceanic writing as a process of world-making across waters in tandem with the biopolitical technologies that reoriented lives in shifting geopolitical territories. Oceanic border thinking enables one’s sense of the world not only in water but onwards into the land, whether in Africa, England, or continental Europe. Transferrable and dissident, this method helps with the exploration of how cartographic, literary, and imaginative conceptions of the border, as observed from water, bear the potential to trouble easy categorizations of borders and the histories associated with them.

Sense of Guilt and Shame: An Interpretation of Abdulrazak Gurnah's Gravel Heart in Terms of Traumatic Neurosis

This paper examines Gravel Heart by Abdulrazak Gurnah through a psychoanalytic lens. Its framework stems from the theoretical underpinnings of Cathy Caruth’s traumatic neurosis to interpret the psychic state of the protagonist, Salim. It elucidates the reasons behind the character’s trapped psyche, which leads to a constant sensation of guilt and humiliation. It also sees how his psychological trauma affects others and results in deteriorating consequences. The qualitative method of textual analysis is implied. The researcher has found that the worst impacts of colonialism are the reasons behind Salim's painful circumstances and his regret and shame over past wrongdoings.Acute helplessness shatters his personality, and his previously repressed worries manifest as traumatic injuries, which highlights the neurotic symptoms described by Caruth. The current study highlights Caruth’s modified views on traumatic neurosis. In addition, this paper reconsiders the novel to urge society to reconsider human emotions in the contemporary era.

Interpretation of "I am from there. In my mind, I live there" by Abdulrazak Gurnah: Post-colonial retreat for the re-establishment of Identity in Gravel Heart (2017) and Afterlives (2020)

While delving into the novels "Gravel Heart" (2017) and "Afterlives" (2020) by Abdulrazak Gurnah, this research paper aims to explore potential solutions for addressing the identity crisis experienced by migrant populations worldwide. Its central objective is to capture the subtle emotional nuances and profound human experiences that arise in stark contrast to one's sense of self amidst the ongoing struggle triggered by separation from one land of origin. The research paper intends to analyze the state of perplexity and crisis surrounding self-identity, as well as the resistance to acknowledging the concept of 'parallel existences,' as depicted in Gurnah's selected literary works. This research paper endeavours to offer insights into the enduring battle for identity resulting from migration, regardless of the underlying causes.

RESTORING CONTINUITY: NOTES ON HISTORY AND FICTION

ABSTRACTIn 1935, as Europe witnessed the rise of fascism, Paul Valéry tried to identify the origins of the crisis in a lecture titled “Le bilan de l'intelligence.” Things were better, he claimed, when people were able to understand their present moment as the result of past events—that is, when “continuity reigned in the minds.” In this article, I discuss why that sense of continuity with the past is, in fact, indispensable for individuals and societies alike; using instances from great works of fiction, ranging from Don Quixote to the novels of Toni Morrison and Abdulrazak Gurnah, I suggest that fiction—the literary imagination of the historical past—might be uniquely adept at restoring continuity when it is broken.

Undermining the Concept of Paradise: Intertextuality and Storytelling in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Paradise

Storytelling and intertextuality feature frequently in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s literary works. This paper investigates the role intertextuality and storytelling play in his novel Paradise, published in 1994, and shows how they ultimately undermine the very concept of paradise itself. The first section of the paper analyses two intertextual references to Milton which cast doubt on the idea of East Africa as a paradise through their contradictory nature. The second part focuses on the theme of storytelling in the novel at large and more specifically in the main character’s life, demonstrating that both clashes and correspondences between life and storytelling eventually undercut the main character’s idea of paradise.

Color and Number Symbolism in the Novel “Paradise” by Abdulrazzak Gurnah

This article addresses the use of colors and numbers in fictional literature, namely Abdulrazak Gurnah's Paradise, to express ideas beyond their literal meanings. Some authors may even employ colors to express a mood or underline critical themes in their works; for example, pastel colors may suggest dreaminess, while deeper tones may denote mystery or dread. The practice of giving particular numbers or numbers patterns value and meaning is known as number symbolism. This custom has been practiced throughout history in various nations and traditions and is frequently applied in spiritual, religious, or mystical situations. The symbols for the numbers three, seven, twelve, forty, and hundreds are well-known. Each of them alludes to diverse cultural perspectives that vary. The novel Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah might serve as an illustration of how colors and numbers can be used to convey ideas to readers about the importance of both colors and symbols in global culture. White, black, green, and red are frequently used color combinations in Paradise and are associated with colonialism, passion, desire, and nature. Numbers three, seven and twelve examine memory, religion, and personal identity questions. Colors and numbers are two parallel motifs frequently appearing in literature, yet Abdulrazak Gurnah's Paradise shows how important colors are relative to numbers. Additionally, in fictional literature, colors and numerals serve as indicators of cultural elements.

A Language Spoken with Words: Decolonization, Knowledge Production and Environmental Injustice in the Work of Abdulrazak Gurnah

The paper analyses the relationship between decolonization, climate change, and environmental injustice as represented in the writings of Abdulrazak Gurnah. Gurnah’s work is considered an example of decolonial literature. Decolonial literature has focused on issues beyond the nature of the colonial subject, highlighting the relationship between the capitalist world economy and the formation of modern decolonial subjectivities, namely the exposure of those subjectivities to environmental injustice. The paper intends to answer the following research question: how does Abdulrazak Gurnah address the articulation between decolonization, climate change, and environmental injustice? The paper argues that Gurnah addresses such an articulation by discussing knowledge production about the colonial subject and the postcolonial self and instituting an association between environmental/climate precarity and biopolitical precarity. Building from two of Gurnah’s novels—By the Sea and Afterlives – the paper debates how Gurnah’s characters are afflicted by the racialization of social and economic relations and biopolitical and climate precarity. Questioning knowledge production about the colonial subject and the postcolonial self is significant because it underscores the importance of transforming how knowledge about climate change is produced. Instituting an association between environmental/climate precarity and biopolitical precarity permits debating how colonial and capitalist power structures are responsible for disseminating environmental injustice, foregrounding the epistemic importance of indigenous climate change studies. The work of Gurnah is critically analyzed, bearing in mind the need to discuss the relevance of addressing climate change and environmental injustice from the perspective of global south literature.