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“IN PLACE OUT OF PLACE”: THE CONSTRUCTION AND NEGOTIATION OF IDENTITY AND PLACE IN MUSLIM WOMEN’S FICTIONAL NARRATIVE

<p>This dissertation examines
the negotiations between narrative, identity, and place in the fictional works of
three major contemporary Muslim women descendants of Arab immigrants: Leila
Houari, Faiza Guène, and Mohja Kahf. The study focuses on four novels: <i>Zeida
de nulle part, Kiffe kiffe demain</i>, <i>Du rêve pour les oufs</i>, and <i>The
Girl with The Tangerine Scarf</i>. </p><p><br></p>

<p>Two key questions structure my examination of the four novels: 1) How do
Muslim women living in a non-Muslim society construct and negotiate their
individual and collective identities?; 2) To what extent does their experience
of space (domestic, public, national) shape their perceptions of self? These
questions form a foundation for better understanding the experience of Muslim
women living in predominantly non-Muslim societies. I must emphasize, however,
that this is in no way a representation of all Muslim women living in
majoritarian non-Muslim societies and in no way can summarize each and every
experience. If anything, the dissertation provides an account of diverse sets
of experiences of what some may encounter, rather than a collective static
representation. </p><p><br></p>

<p>By doing so, this study aims to decrease the dissonance between the
different viewpoints of the women characters in these novels by highlighting their
experiences and subjecting certain misconceptions to critical scrutiny. The dissertation relies
on an interdisciplinary approach, as it integrates different theories and
concepts ranging from cognitive science, postcolonial studies, literary
studies, psychology, and religious studies.</p>

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  1. 10.25394/pgs.12744650.v1
Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/12744650
Date31 July 2020
CreatorsRiham A Ismail (9190382)
Source SetsPurdue University
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, Thesis
RightsCC BY 4.0
Relationhttps://figshare.com/articles/thesis/_IN_PLACE_OUT_OF_PLACE_THE_CONSTRUCTION_AND_NEGOTIATION_OF_IDENTITY_AND_PLACE_IN_MUSLIM_WOMEN_S_FICTIONAL_NARRATIVE/12744650

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