This study explores the intricate situation of the coexistence of different identities in Amin Maalouf＇ s Ports of Call （1996）. It contends that identity is complex, flux, and not limited to what is inherited; it i...This study explores the intricate situation of the coexistence of different identities in Amin Maalouf＇ s Ports of Call （1996）. It contends that identity is complex, flux, and not limited to what is inherited; it is rather a psychological, political, and social amalgamation. Thus, each individual has a unique and particular identity, which is completely different from the others＇. This study is a theoretical and analytical survey of Maalouf＇s Ports of Call. It aims at proving that this novel is an example that Maalouf provides to show the challenges that characters of different identities face, and the obstacles that hinder them from assimilation. The argument is mainly based on Edward Said＇s theories that have opened up discussions about Otherness and multiculturalism, alongside with other postcolonial critics, such as Homi Bhabha. Maalouf＇s book In the Name of Identity： Violence and the Need to Belong （1996） is also integral to this study. The study concludes that it might be possible for people, in parallel with the characters of the novel, to challenge the identity predicament that the world is witnessing nowadays, and accept diversities as a way of life, rather than a reason for waging wars.展开更多
文摘This study explores the intricate situation of the coexistence of different identities in Amin Maalouf＇ s Ports of Call （1996）. It contends that identity is complex, flux, and not limited to what is inherited; it is rather a psychological, political, and social amalgamation. Thus, each individual has a unique and particular identity, which is completely different from the others＇. This study is a theoretical and analytical survey of Maalouf＇s Ports of Call. It aims at proving that this novel is an example that Maalouf provides to show the challenges that characters of different identities face, and the obstacles that hinder them from assimilation. The argument is mainly based on Edward Said＇s theories that have opened up discussions about Otherness and multiculturalism, alongside with other postcolonial critics, such as Homi Bhabha. Maalouf＇s book In the Name of Identity： Violence and the Need to Belong （1996） is also integral to this study. The study concludes that it might be possible for people, in parallel with the characters of the novel, to challenge the identity predicament that the world is witnessing nowadays, and accept diversities as a way of life, rather than a reason for waging wars.
