An examination of postcolonialism, multiculturalism and hybridity in Naomi Shihab Nye 's Sitti's Secrets, Habibi, 19 varieties of Gazelle poems of the Middle East and red suitcase
Other Title(s)
دراسة نظرية ما بعد الاستعمار و التعددية الثقافية و اختلاط الأجناس على مجموعة من أعمال الكاتبة الأمريكية نعومي شهاب ناي و هي "أسرار ستي" "حبيبي" "مجموعة أشعار من الشرق الأوسط" "و الحقيبة الحمراء"
Dissertant
Thesis advisor
Comitee Members
Ibrahim, Tawfiq Yusuf
al-Sarayirah, Zafir
University
Middle East University
Faculty
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Department
Department of English
University Country
Jordan
Degree
Master
Degree Date
2009
English Abstract
This study tries to define postcolonialism, multiculturalism and hybridity which are variably used to describe groups of people from a non-white background, people of color, or people of all cultures regardless of race.
Multicultural literature has often been used to show only positive images of minority cultures.
The objectives of this thesis are to examine how Nye handles these themes by analyzing , Sitti's Secrets (1994), Habibi (1997), 19 Varieties of Gazelle Poems of the Middle East (1994) and Red Suitcase (1994).
The study, in particular, examines these works by analyzing the characters and events that are closely related to this theme.
Such analysis of these works will be in reference to the theoretical perspective of post-colonialism as described by Edward Said's theories in Orientalism, and explain how those theories contradicted those of Nye.
The study is intended to answer the following questions: 1.
Is multiculturalism seen in Nye’s writings? Is this obviously seen in her writings only after her visit to her homeland or is it found in her works before that? The study concluded that Nye had her own picture of Palestine from her father's talk about his homeland, but this picture appeared clearly after her visit to Palestine.
2.
How will the study trace postcolonialism in Nye's works; and how will it give a depiction of the Palestinian diaspora? As a poet of ethnic minorities, celebrating her multiculturalism and her cultural diversity is probably more intense as her experience of her old home is more immediate.
This is because of her visit to her homeland and because of her close relationship with her father and her grandmother.
3.
How do Nye's selected works discuss related themes of hybridity, identity, assimilation, marginalization and cultural conflict? The study examines hybridized characters and tries to show how they are suffering from living all of the time the feeling of in-between-ness.
Moreover, it proves that as a result of the suffering of suppression from the Israeli occupation, Palestinians were considered less assimilated than other Arab groups immigrated to the States.
4.
To what extent did Nye succeed in advocating her message of building a sense of enlarged humanity through crossing racial, political, ideological and psychological boundaries among the young generation ? The study asserted that Nye has succeeded in advocating her message to decrease the distance between Palestinians and Jews through her protagonist Liyana who has started a friendship with Omer.( the Jewish teenager) and through her poems in which she mentioned that we are wasting our time by killing each other instead of building our future.
Furthermore, the study revealed that Arab-Americans from different origins suffer from the loss of identity, hybridity and multiculturalism which have affected their thoughts and beliefs.
Therefore, they can’t assimilate an other cultures totally and they will always feel that they are not a pure origin.
Nye, tried in all of her writings to overcome boundaries that separate us from each other.
She believes that people can start good relationships even with the colonizer if they want so, and this appeared clearly in Sitti's Secrets, where she portrays a picture of her grandmother and how she believes in peace in spite of her sufferings from the occupation.
Main Subjects
Languages & Comparative Literature
No. of Pages
90
Table of Contents
Table of contents.
Abstract.
Abstract in Arabic.
Chapter One : Introduction.
Chapter Two : Review of related literature.
Chapter Three : Methods and procedures.
Chapter Four : Nye's Sitti’s Secrets, Habibi, 19 varieties of Gazelle poems of the Middle East and Red suitcase and postcolonialism, multiculturalism and hybridity.
Chapter Five : Conclusions and recommendations.
References.
American Psychological Association (APA)
al-Khatib, Wafa Yusuf. (2009). An examination of postcolonialism, multiculturalism and hybridity in Naomi Shihab Nye 's Sitti's Secrets, Habibi, 19 varieties of Gazelle poems of the Middle East and red suitcase. (Master's theses Theses and Dissertations Master). Middle East University, Jordan
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-691460
Modern Language Association (MLA)
al-Khatib, Wafa Yusuf. An examination of postcolonialism, multiculturalism and hybridity in Naomi Shihab Nye 's Sitti's Secrets, Habibi, 19 varieties of Gazelle poems of the Middle East and red suitcase. (Master's theses Theses and Dissertations Master). Middle East University. (2009).
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-691460
American Medical Association (AMA)
al-Khatib, Wafa Yusuf. (2009). An examination of postcolonialism, multiculturalism and hybridity in Naomi Shihab Nye 's Sitti's Secrets, Habibi, 19 varieties of Gazelle poems of the Middle East and red suitcase. (Master's theses Theses and Dissertations Master). Middle East University, Jordan
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-691460
Language
English
Data Type
Arab Theses
Record ID
BIM-691460
