The following dissertation aims to examine mobility, identity and racism in Caryl Phillips’ A Distant Shore and Foreigners Three English Lives. The following research finds it useful to rely on theoretical works pertaining to mobility, identity and racism. They contribute immensely to the comprehension and thus the close inspection of the concepts and works under scrutiny. The originality of the following dissertation lies in its examination of concepts that have not been discussed yet in the works under inspection. These include identity, mobility and racism. The present dissertation is divided into three parts. The first one is devoted to investigating mobility in the two literary works. Emphasis is placed on the meanings of mobility, mainly the literal and metaphorical meanings. Then the focus is on power and its immense contribution to mobilizing and immobilizing people. Thus, this chapter is intended to argue that mobility is conditioned by structures of power. Stress is also laid on the final outcomes of mobility. The second part revolves around identity in A Distant Shore and Foreigners; Three English Lives. Clearly, the spatial transition of the characters from one space to another gives birth to numerous changes in their identities. Hence, emphasis is put on the mobile nature of identity. The second chapter is a continuation of the first one in the sense that it examines the hybrid nature of identity. It is an attempt to contest the fixity and stability of cultures and identities by foregrounding their plural and hybrid nature. The main aim of the final chapter is to expose the complexity and problematic nature of the characters’ identities. The final section of this research project tackles racism in the two chosen literary works of Phillips. It is meant to argue that the spatial transition of immigrants from their homeland to a host country brings about their exposure to all forms of racism. Equally important, racism is marked by many antagonisms, more particularly the Manichean Allegory. Last but not least, the ultimate chapter foregrounds the repercussions of racism by arguing that these consequences are detrimental to the immigrants’ physicality and psychology.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part One: Mobility in A Distant Shore and Foreigners: Three English Lives
1. Meanings of Mobility
2. Power and Mobility: Mobilization and Immobilization of Characters
3. The Outcomes of the Characters’ Mobility: Liminality, Alienation, Disillusionment and Temporal Confusion
Part 2: Identity in Caryl Phillips’ A Distant Shore and Foreigners: Three English Lives
1. Identity as a Mobile Entity
2. The Hybrid Nature of Identity
3. Identity Crisis
Part Three; Racism in Caryl Phillips’ A Distant Shore and Foreigners: Three English Lives
1. Manifestations of Racism: Interpersonal and Systemic Racism
2. Antagonisms Igniting Racism
3. The Repercussions of Racism
Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This master's dissertation explores the intersection of mobility, identity, and racism within Caryl Phillips' literary works A Distant Shore and Foreigners: Three English Lives, analyzing how spatial transition impacts the characters' psychological stability and social positioning.
- The relationship between literal spatial mobility and metaphorical social transition.
- The role of power structures in the mobilization and immobilization of immigrant characters.
- The construction of hybrid identities as a contestation of cultural purity.
- The systemic and interpersonal manifestations of racism faced by immigrants in the West.
- The psychological repercussions of migration, specifically trauma, alienation, and identity crisis.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Meanings of Mobility
The literal meaning of mobility stands for the physical movement of people from one place to another. While voluntary movements are based on people’s choice and freedom, involuntary movements are caused by many factors, such as political instability, war, economic crisis and so on. In A Distant Shore, Gabriel, an African man, immigrates from Africa to Britain in order to escape the devastating power of war. Thus, his movement, which is undoubtedly a forced one, manifests itself as an involuntary migration. In his native African village, Gabriel’s family is slaughtered by African military troops.
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: Provides the biographical context of Caryl Phillips and outlines the dissertation's focus on mobility, identity, and racism in his selected literary works.
Part One: Mobility in A Distant Shore and Foreigners: Three English Lives: Examines how literal and metaphorical mobility are conditioned by structures of power and their subsequent impact on character stability.
Part 2: Identity in Caryl Phillips’ A Distant Shore and Foreigners: Three English Lives: Analyzes identity as a mobile, hybrid entity, exploring how traumatic experiences and social interactions lead to identity crises.
Part Three; Racism in Caryl Phillips’ A Distant Shore and Foreigners: Three English Lives: Investigates interpersonal and systemic racism as fundamental tools for the oppression and dehumanization of immigrants in the host environment.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the core findings, emphasizing the inevitable connection between geographic transition, identity fragmentation, and exposure to racism.
Keywords
Mobility, Identity, Racism, Caryl Phillips, A Distant Shore, Foreigners, Hybridity, Systemic Racism, Liminality, Alienation, Disillusionment, Postmodernism, Migration, Identity Crisis, Orientalism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
This work examines the interconnectedness of mobility, identity, and racism in the selected novels A Distant Shore and Foreigners: Three English Lives by Caryl Phillips.
What core themes are explored in these literary works?
The study centers on spatial transition, cultural hybridity, systemic oppression, and the psychological impact of being a marginalized foreigner in Britain.
What is the main research question or objective?
The aim is to analyze how the mobility of characters—from the margin to the metropolitan center—precipitates changes in their identity and exposes them to various forms of interpersonal and systemic racism.
Which scientific methods are utilized in the analysis?
The research adopts a critical approach, utilizing literary analysis supported by theories of mobility, identity, hybridity (Homi Bhabha), and social constructivism/racial formation theory.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The body is divided into three parts: the nature of mobility and power, the shifting/hybrid nature of identity, and the manifestations and repercussions of racism.
How do keywords characterize this study?
The keywords highlight the focus on the migratory experience, the conceptualization of race and selfhood, and the analytical framework rooted in postcolonial and sociological theory.
How does the concept of 'liminality' apply to the characters?
Liminality is used to describe the "in-between" status of immigrants who are physically in the host country but socially and psychologically excluded, leaving them in a state of suspended belonging.
In what way does the author challenge the "Manichean Allegory"?
Phillips contests the traditional binary oppositions (e.g., civilised vs. uncivilised) by re-associating these traits to invert the colonial narrative, exposing the "darkness" of the host society and the "humanity" of the oppressed.
- Quote paper
- Ilias Najih (Author), 2023, Mobility, Identity and Racism in Caryl Phillips’ "A Distant Shore and Foreigners: Three English Lives", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1556606
