Politics of the Female Body: Middle Eastern Female Refugee Writers in Canada and the US
Abstract
This thesis discusses the politics of the female body in memoirs and fictional works written by Middle Eastern refugee women in Canada and the United States. These works include two memoirs: Breaking the Ocean by Annahid Dashtgerd and We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib and two novels: A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri and A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar. It addresses the research problem of how these women negotiate their identities, agency, and experiences of displacement/resettlement through their corporeal existence. The analysis is guided by the theoretical frameworks introduced under feminism including Elizabeth Grosz’s deconstruction of the mind/body binary, psychoanalytic feminism, intersectional feminism, and queer feminism which provides a lens to explore the unique narrative structures and thematic motifs inherent in memoir and fiction. Findings reveal a multi-dimensional exploration of the female body as a locus of cultural, societal, and political contestation. Central themes include the continuity of displacement in both the country of origin and the country of settlement, the dismantling of the white savior narrative and victimhood archetype, and the pursuit of bodily emancipation within and outside the female form in the specific context of Middle Eastern culture and history. The concept of continuity of displacement in the case of Middle Eastern refugee women illuminates how displacement permeates various aspects of their lives, transcending geographical borders to encompass a profound sense of estrangement and displacement within cultural, historical, and societal contexts. Also, the thesis uncovers the complexities of cultural displacement, illustrating how the female body serves as both a vessel and battleground within shifting landscapes of tradition and modernity. It examines how societal norms and expectations shape the embodied experiences of Middle Eastern refugee women, leading to a nuanced understanding of their struggles and resilience. In addressing the white savior narrative and victimhood archetype, the study reveals how these narratives perpetuate oppressive structures, highlighting the agency and resilience of female refugees. It emphasizes the need to move beyond dichotomous portrayals of victimhood and explore the nuanced ways in which these women navigate societal constraints.