The Representation of Existentialism in Rawi Hage’s Cockroach (2008) and Carnival (2012)
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Date
2022
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Mouloud Mammeri University
Abstract
This dissertation examines Rawi Hage’s Cockroach (2008) and Carnival (2012) from an existential issue. It relies on Jean-Paul Sartre’s Existentialism is a Humanism, Thomas Flynn’s Existentialism: A very Short Introduction, Andrew Barnaby’s “Coming Too Late: Freud, Belatedness, and Existential Trauma” and Homi Bhabha’s The location of culture. The research explores the profound impact of past traumas and family problems on the protagonists’ lives, both during their upbringing, mainly childhood and adulthood. Besides, they faced harsh lives in the Arab World; they witnessed political unrest, violence, and social upheaval, often experiencing displacement and a sense of rootlessness. These struggles and dilemmas faced by immigrants in Lebanon have an impact on existential crises, leaving lasting marks on their psyche. Additionally, the dissertation investigates the protagonists’ journey of identity formation and the challenges encountered in their new surroundings, leading to displacement and existential crises. The research sheds light on the interplay between personal identity and external circumstances, highlighting the protagonists’ struggles in their past, present, and future. Subsequently, this study provides valuable insights into how Hage addresses the complexities of identity, displacement, and immigration, and the lasting effects they have on characters.
Description
65p. ; 30cm(+CD-Rom)
Keywords
trauma, family, identity, displacement, existential issues
Citation
Literature and Interdisciplinary Approaches