This paper aims to discuss the representation of food in diaspora and exile in linkage to identity within the writing of Arab-American author Diana Abu Jaber's “Crescent”. Food as a cultural trope is discussed in many academic fields such as anthropology, sociology, psychology, cultural studies, and literary criticism. In this view, food is a trope that diasporan writers deploy to negotiate their existence and raise questions about their identity and displacement from the host land. Also, the use of the thematic representation of food that the Arab author, Diana Abu Jaber, includes, aids in discussing the political issues of otherness and self by representing this cultural trope. This paper aims to discuss the representation of food in diaspora and exile in linkage to identity within the writing of Arab-American author Diana Abu Jaber's “Crescent”. Moreover, it is analysed how food is a marker that aids the existence of people in exile.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Representing Exile and Diaspora
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the representation of food in the Arab-American author Diana Abu Jaber's novel "Crescent" in relation to exile, diaspora, and identity. It explores how food functions as a cultural marker for Arab-American immigrants, navigating their existence and negotiating their identity within the host country.
- Food as a cultural trope in diaspora and exile
- The role of food in constructing identity and negotiating otherness
- The significance of food in bridging the past and present for immigrants
- Food as a language of belonging and displacement
- The relationship between food, exile, and internalized oppression
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the concept of food as a cornerstone of cultural studies, highlighting its role in defining identities and negotiating the concept of "otherness." It explores the significance of food for immigrants and exiles who experience a disruption of their familiar cultural practices and are forced to navigate new social realities.
- Representing Exile and Diaspora: This chapter focuses on how the representation of food in literature provides insight into the experiences of migrants and exiles. It examines the "nostalgia cookbook" and "cookbook memories" as literary forms that explore themes of origin, loss, and nostalgia. The chapter delves into the concept of food as a medium through which immigrants can define their identities, negotiate inclusion and exclusion, and construct a bridge between their past and present.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This study focuses on key terms and concepts such as food, cultural studies, identity, existence, exile, diaspora, self, other, and Crescent. It examines the interconnections between these elements to understand how food functions as a symbolic and practical element in the construction of Arab-American identity and the experiences of exile and diaspora.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Adil Ouatat (Autor:in), 2023, Exilic and Diasporan Representation and the Importance of Food in "Crescent" by Diana Abu Jaber, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1355392
