<p>Finnish-born writer Susanna Alakoski’s novel Svinalängorna became a big success after being published in Sweden in April 2006. Though the novel has many themes in common with earlier literature written by and about Finnish immigrants in Sweden, little attention has been brought to this fact by reviewers and journalists. This essay examines connections between Alakoski’s novel and Finnish migrant literature in Sweden, mainly from the 1970s, and how these connections have been recognised by reviewers in Sweden and Finland. Based on the examination made here, Svinalängorna can be said to have several significant themes and features in common with other Finnish immigrant literature written in Sweden. However, in the examined material, none of the Swedish reviewers and only two of the Finnish reviewers referred to earlier literature written by and/or about Finns in Sweden. The main reference point for the Swedish reviewers was traditional Swedish working-class literature while the Finnish reviewers mainly referred to newer Finnish literature exploring similar themes: alcoholism, poverty and childhood. In general, the Finnish reviewers found the novel more familiar than the Swedish reviewers.</p>

This dissertation examines how postcoloniality affects identity formation in contemporary women's immigrant literature. In order to do so, it must interrogate the critical fields that are most interested in issues of national and cultural identities, migration, and the appropriation of women by both Western and postcolonial projects. By examining the fiction of Bharati Mukherjee, Elizabeth Nunez, and Jhumpa Lahiri through the triple lens of ethnic American studies, postcolonial theory, and transnational feminism, I will argue that theorizing postcolonial women's writing in the United States involves sustained analysis of how particular socio-political experiences are translated into the context of American identity. I am particularly interested in the manner in which female subjects in these texts navigate between the various and often contradictory demands placed on them by their respective homeland cultures and their new immigrant positions in the United States. Although each of these writers depict immigrant women protagonists who adapt to these demands in their own particular ways, a study of these characters' gendered and cultural identities reveals a powerful relationship between the manner in which women are figured into the preservation of the postcolonial nation-state and the ways in which these women utilize immigration as an occasion to appropriate and subvert this role in the establishment of a new, negotiated identity. This project draws on three important and current fields of interest to both cultural and literary studies. Postcolonial studies, which has been central to the study of literature by minority writers, provides a useful foundation for understanding hybrid identities, dislocation, and the ways in which empire gave rise to nationalisms that utilized women in the formation and preservation of the nation-state. Transnational feminist theories are critical to understanding the implications of nationalism's appropriation of women and their bodies in it projects, and are especially useful in establishing feminisms that are not limited by American or European definitions and that defy homogenizing the experiences of postcolonial women. They affirm that there are many strategies for employing female agency, and that we must consider the particular circumstances (economic, cultural, racial, national, gender) that allow women of color to favor one strategy over another. Finally, U.S. Ethnic studies will inform my readings of texts that are, at their core, narratives of immigration to the United States and the seeking out of the American Dream. However, this dissertation suggests, the precarious position of immigrants in a nation whose ideals and dominating mythology are marred by a dark history of racism and exclusionary practices plays an important role in the establishment of an ethnic American identity in the United States.

Finnish-born writer Susanna Alakoski’s novel Svinalängorna became a big success after being published in Sweden in April 2006. Though the novel has many themes in common with earlier literature written by and about Finnish immigrants in Sweden, little attention has been brought to this fact by reviewers and journalists. This essay examines connections between Alakoski’s novel and Finnish migrant literature in Sweden, mainly from the 1970s, and how these connections have been recognised by reviewers in Sweden and Finland. Based on the examination made here, Svinalängorna can be said to have several significant themes and features in common with other Finnish immigrant literature written in Sweden. However, in the examined material, none of the Swedish reviewers and only two of the Finnish reviewers referred to earlier literature written by and/or about Finns in Sweden. The main reference point for the Swedish reviewers was traditional Swedish working-class literature while the Finnish reviewers mainly referred to newer Finnish literature exploring similar themes: alcoholism, poverty and childhood. In general, the Finnish reviewers found the novel more familiar than the Swedish reviewers.

The thesis aims to investigate to what extent and how is the multicultural society reflected in contemporary Dutch children's literature and how the authors deal with the issue of multiculturalism. The theoretical part explains important terms and describes the current social situation in the Netherlands. Than follows an overview of the evolution of immigration to the Netherlands and an analysis of topics related to multicultural problematics. At the end of theoretical part is briefly described the concept of children's literature and defined the area of the research. The practical section first describes the methodology that is followed by an analysis of eight books. The results part discusses the findings of the research.

This thesis addresses four Canadian immigrant English-language prose writers in order to identify commonalities and differences in their literary representations of the immigrant experience over time. While origin and ethnicity factored in the selection of writers so as to ensure diversity, the primary selection criterion was to obtain a significant historical range, from the 1830s to the present. The writers selected are: Susanna Moodie, an immigrant from England in the mid-19th century; John Marlyn, an immigrant from Hungary in the early-20th century; Michael Ondaatje, an immigrant from Sri Lanka via England in the mid-20th century; and Rawi Hage, an immigrant from Lebanon via the US in the late-20th century. I conclude that there are significant similarities among the works of all four writers, generally attributable to their shared experience of being immigrants, and equally significant areas of divergence, generally attributable to the development of Canada, with Moodie and Marlyn on one side of an important watershed in the mid-1950s, and Ondaatje and Hage on the other. All four write extensively of the experience of the immigrant with a fundamental similarity in their depiction of isolation, non-belonging and dislocation. Over time, the representations of isolation have become more complex, mirroring the increasing diversity and complexity of Canadian society. The mid-1950s shift in Canadian immigration policy from preferred British, US, and Northern European immigration to multinational immigration has resulted in increased diversity of both the Canadian immigrant population and Canadian literature. While the environment of the immigrant to Canada changes, one constant has been and is likely to continue to be a sense of dislocation, non-belonging and isolation, of being an uninvited outsider, or survenant. Canadian literature has reflected this reality consistently for almost 200 years and will no doubt continue to do so.

This thesis addresses four Canadian immigrant English-language prose writers in order to identify commonalities and differences in their literary representations of the immigrant experience over time. While origin and ethnicity factored in the selection of writers so as to ensure diversity, the primary selection criterion was to obtain a significant historical range, from the 1830s to the present. The writers selected are: Susanna Moodie, an immigrant from England in the mid-19th century; John Marlyn, an immigrant from Hungary in the early-20th century; Michael Ondaatje, an immigrant from Sri Lanka via England in the mid-20th century; and Rawi Hage, an immigrant from Lebanon via the US in the late-20th century. I conclude that there are significant similarities among the works of all four writers, generally attributable to their shared experience of being immigrants, and equally significant areas of divergence, generally attributable to the development of Canada, with Moodie and Marlyn on one side of an important watershed in the mid-1950s, and Ondaatje and Hage on the other. All four write extensively of the experience of the immigrant with a fundamental similarity in their depiction of isolation, non-belonging and dislocation. Over time, the representations of isolation have become more complex, mirroring the increasing diversity and complexity of Canadian society. The mid-1950s shift in Canadian immigration policy from preferred British, US, and Northern European immigration to multinational immigration has resulted in increased diversity of both the Canadian immigrant population and Canadian literature. While the environment of the immigrant to Canada changes, one constant has been and is likely to continue to be a sense of dislocation, non-belonging and isolation, of being an uninvited outsider, or survenant. Canadian literature has reflected this reality consistently for almost 200 years and will no doubt continue to do so.

No description available.

Depuis le début des années 1990, la publication en langue italienne d'oeuvres littéraires d’auteurs aux origines étrangères et aux parcours hétérogènes, a imposé à la critique une réflexion sur de nouveaux enjeux linguistiques, esthétiques et sociaux.Parmi ces écrivains il est possible de recenser un groupe qui présente des caractéristiques particulières, les écrivains originaires de la Corne de l'Afrique. Leur production littéraire a certainement contribué aussi bien à la réouverture du débat sur le colonialisme italien qu’à l’introduction des théories postcoloniales et à la définition de ce qu’on appelle désormais le postcolonial italien. Réciproquement, le développement des études postcoloniales dans l’aire italophone a encouragé ces auteurs à s’exprimer.Longtemps refoulée et occultée, l'expérience historique de la colonisation italienne en Afrique de l'Est peine encore aujourd’hui à trouver place dans une réélaboration culturelle. Comment l'appartenance de ces écrivains à une ancienne colonie peut-elle se manifester dans un pays qui ne s’est jamais vraiment penché sur son passé colonial ? Notre hypothèse est que l’écriture peut devenir un espace dans lequel ils tissent une nouvelle relation, à la fois avec un pays lointain auquel ils se sentent liés et avec le pays où et d’où ils écrivent, l’Italie. Ils mettent ainsi en place une stratégie qui leur permet d’entamer des processus de recomposition identitaire, tant sur le plan individuel que sur le plan collectif.Nous analyserons la production littéraire d'une dizaine d'auteurs. L'étude de leurs thèmes de prédilection et de leurs modalités d'écriture nous permettra de comprendre aussi si cette recomposition véhicule une image inédite des pays de la Corne de l’Afrique, ou bien si la nécessité de trouver un « espace de présence » en Italie l’emporte sur la portée innovatrice de leur imaginaire. / Since the beginning of the 1990’s, Italian literary world and critic have been interested in linguistic, esthetic and social issues generated by Italian immigrant literature, in which we find writers of various backgrounds.Nevertheless, there is a group of authors displaying distinctive features whose members originate from the Horn of Africa. Their literary works participate to a renewal of interest for Italian colonial domination as well as for the debate on the introduction of postcolonial theories and the existence of a so-called Italian postcolonialism. Conversely, the interest and the development of postcolonial studies promote authors’ writings.Italian colonial domination in East Africa was rejected and hidden for a long time and still today it is a difficult issue to deal with. How can authors express their sense of belonging to former colonies in a country that has never looked at its colonial past? Our thesis statement is that writing enables the authors to restore understanding to often contradictory identities and thus rebuild their own space, both with regard to their social and ethnic background and to Italian society where these operations take place.This work aims at exploring how writing stories represents a strategy intended to make identity reorganization possible. The analysis of their favorite subjects will allow us to show whether this reorganization also conveys an unprecedented imaginary world from the Horn of Africa or if the necessity of finding a space to exist prevails over this really innovative storytelling.

The central concern of this thesis is to investigate the development of the personal identity of the main characters in four novels, a novella, and a short-story, written in German by authors from different countries who have immigrated to post World War II Germany and Switzerland. Earlier research concerning these identity processes is reviewed with emphasis on the relevance of the different theoretical models of development of personal identity used. A model called “identity-balance”, first described by the German sociologist Lothar Krappmann, is used in analysing the changes in personal identity. This model is preferred because of Krappmann’s strong emphasis on interaction, process, and openness. Based upon the results of the interpretations a modification of Krappmann’s model is suggested in order to better shed light upon identity processes following migration. As languages are shown to play a great role in these processes, aspects concerned with multilingualism and the part languages play in the “identity-balance” are discussed throughout the thesis. The textual interpretations reveal the connection between three lines of change: changes in personal identity, changes in society following migration, and changes in the field of literature.

<p>The central concern of this thesis is to investigate the development of the personal identity of the main characters in four novels, a novella, and a short-story, written in German by authors from different countries who have immigrated to post World War II Germany and Switzerland. Earlier research concerning these identity processes is reviewed with emphasis on the relevance of the different theoretical models of development of personal identity used. A model called “identity-balance”, first described by the German sociologist Lothar Krappmann, is used in analysing the changes in personal identity. This model is preferred because of Krappmann’s strong emphasis on interaction, process, and openness. Based upon the results of the interpretations a modification of Krappmann’s model is suggested in order to better shed light upon identity processes following migration. As languages are shown to play a great role in these processes, aspects concerned with multilingualism and the part languages play in the “identity-balance” are discussed throughout the thesis. The textual interpretations reveal the connection between three lines of change: changes in personal identity, changes in society following migration, and changes in the field of literature.</p>