Wounds of Exile: Memory and Postcolonial Identity in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s By the Sea
Manali Kajal
, Dr. Rashmi Verma
belonging, colonial history, exile, trauma, displacement
Colonialism does not end with the fall of empire. Its effects remain inscribed in
the lives of people who are shaped by it even after independence. This paper examines
how this continuation impact memory and identity in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s By the Sea.
The novel is set in the historical aftermath of the Zanzibar revolution, focuses on the
intertwined narratives of Saleh Omar and Latif Mahmud, both Zanzibari exiles living in
Britain. The paper further highlights that personal memory intersct with history to show
the continuous influence of colonial past on present subjectivities. It shows that memory
and exile are two different sides of the same coin which shape fragmented narratives,
displaced identities, and an unresolved longing for belonging. Drawing on postcolonial
theory and memory studies, the paper analyses how memory functions as burden and
survival tool in the narrative. It examines acts of storytelling shape character’s attempt to
reconstruct identity in condition of migration. The paper concludes healing as tentative
and incomplete yet necessary negotiation with the past that refuses to be forgotten.
"Wounds of Exile: Memory and Postcolonial Identity in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s By the Sea", JETNR - JOURNAL OF EMERGING TRENDS AND NOVEL RESEARCH (www.JETNR.org), ISSN:2984-9276, Vol.4, Issue 6, page no.b887-b893, June-2026, Available :https://rjpn.org/JETNR/papers/JETNR2606216.pdf
Volume 4
Issue 6,
June-2026
Pages : b887-b893
Paper Reg. ID: JETNR_235247
Published Paper Id: JETNR2606216
Downloads: 00045
Research Area: Medical Science All
Country: Kurukshetra , Haryana, India
ISSN: 2984-9276 | IMPACT FACTOR: 9.87 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2023
An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 9.87 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator
Publisher: RJPN (IJPublication) Janvi Wave
