Thesis (M.A.) - Cairo University - Faculty of ... - Department of

Transculturalism is a relatively new field in cultural studies that defies the insistence on national identity. It rejects the formerly pervasive separatist model of cultures as self-enclosed in favor of a dynamic, fluid and transgressive paradigm more apt to the increasingly globalized world. This contemporary globalization gave rise to a new wave of transcultural writers who attempt to transgress cultural, geographical, religious and linguistic borders. Their works are expressions of such diversity and interconnectedness. This thesis will focus on two transcultural novels: The Bastard of Istanbul (2006) and The Sweetness of Tears (2011) by two prominent transcultural writers; Elif Shafak and Nafisa Haji respectively. The main goal is to examine how national, cultural and religious conflicts can be resisted by creating a more tolerant, inclusive and humanitarian discourse shaped by confluences rather than polarities. The thesis will scrutinize the female protagonists{u2019} journeys towards a transcultural identity, utilizing the transcultural theories of Welsch, Epstein, Dagnino, Bhabha and Dai. The use of memory, the significance of space, the constructions of gender and the identity formation and reformation of the characters will thus be examined to reveal how transculturalism endeavors to reconcile historical, religious, ethnic and cultural conflicts

Issued also as CD