National/diasporic exile: crossroads and future prospects.

Abdelmessih, Marie Therese

This article focuses on the representations of local/global displacements in Raqsa Sharqiyya (Oriental Dance; 2010) by Khaled AlBerri and Brooklyn Heights (2010) by Miral Al-Tahawi. Both novels configure the exilic condition at home and in the diaspora, revealing the unfeasibility of fixing an identity in a constant process of becoming. In the novels, nation/diaspora borders dissolve, paving the way for new communication methods promoting trans-cultural dialogues. The articulation of local/global mutual relations generates a cosmopolitan aesthetic. The research is informed by Stuart Hall's constructivist approach in cultural studies. It also draws on Ulrich Beck's cosmopolitan approach, among other critics.