THIRD SPACE, MIMICRY, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR IDENTITY: POSTCOLONIAL DISPLACEMENT IN SHORT FICTION

Abstract

A piece of literature can deal with issues of characters being displaced, and transnational or cultural identity being conflicted and negotiated. These postcolonial experiences are shown in short stories demonstrating the living conditions of individuals between cultures and locations. Although there is an increased interest in post-colonial narratives, limited research exists on the comparative application of post-colonial themes to short story collections from distinct cultural contexts. The current study thereby aimed to explore the comparative representation of post-colonial themes in the English short stories of Sefi Atta’s News from Home and Julian Barnes’s The Lemon Table. The findings of the study revealed the existence of post-colonial themes of mimicry and third space in both the selected texts. Mimicry is found to operate as a survival strategy, as characters imitate dominant cultural behaviors and voices to mask insecurity and marginalization. The third space is found originating through migration, transitional locations, emotional in-betweenness, and symbolic settings where identity remains suspended rather than resolved.