Volume IV Special Issue VII September 2024

Name of Author : Dr.V.Sumitha, K.J. Chandra Lekha

Title of the paper : Echoes of the Zanzibar: Exploring Cultural Confluence in Abdulrazak Gurnahs By the Sea

Abstract: The paper explores cultural confluence in Abdulrazak Gurnahs novel By the Sea, emphasizing the merging and intertwining of identities within diasporic communities. Centered in Zanzibar, a historical melting pot of African, Arab, and Indian influences, the narrative unfolds through the experiences of Saleh, an asylum seeker, and Latif, a professor grappling with his heritage. Gurnah illustrates the complexities of adaptation and belonging amid the backdrop of the Zanzibari Revolution and the harsh realities of immigration. The novel highlights how personal memories, collective histories, and cultural intersections shape individual identities, and how societal dynamics impact relationships. Through vivid imagery and rich narrative, Gurnah critiques the paralysis caused by prejudice and the irony of post-colonial cultural assimilation. By intertwining past and present, the text reflects on the enduring influences of history and memory in the lives of its characters, underscoring the challenges and opportunities that arise from cultural confluence. Thus the paper analyses how By the Sea presents a poignant exploration of the effects of colonialism, the refugee experience, and the quest for belonging, ultimately illustrating the manifold ways in which cultural confluence influences and transforms individuals navigating the complexities of life in a foreign land.

Keywords : Culture, Confluence, Assimilation, Adaptation, Immigration, Identity

DOI :

Page Number : 107-110