Luis Alberto Urrea’s The Devil’s Highway (2004) and Tahar Ben Jelloun’s Leaving Tangier (2009) : Migration and disillusionment, a Comparative study
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Date
2025-07
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Université Mouloud Mammeri Tizi Ouzou
Abstract
This study explores the complex realities of migration through a comparative analysis of The Devil’s Highway (2004) by Luis Alberto Urrea and Leaving Tangier (2009) by Tahar Ben Jelloun. Both works address the universal human desire for a better life and the harsh disillusionment that often follows the migrant journey. The main aim of this research is to examine how these two authors represent the physical, emotional, and moral consequences of migration and how displacement reshapes identity. The analysis is based on Everett S. Lee’s Push-Pull Theory of Migration, supported by postcolonial and psychosocial perspectives, particularly those of Frantz Fanon and Bhugra and Becker. The findings reveal that Urrea exposes the systemic and physical erasure of migrants at the U.S.–Mexico border, while Ben Jelloun portrays the psychological and cultural fragmentation of Moroccan migrants seeking hope abroad. Ultimately, this research concludes that both texts humanize the migrant experience, challenge political indifference, and invite reflection on the moral and emotional costs of crossing borders.
Description
52p. ; (+CD-Rom)
Keywords
Displacement, Exile, Identity, Leaving Tangier, Luis Alberto Urrea, Migration, Push-Pull Theory, Tahar Ben Jelloun, The Devil’s Highway
Citation
General and Comparative Literature