The internalized vermin of exile in Montréal: Rawi Hage's Cockroach

Wisam Kh Abdul-Jabbar*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This article argues that the protagonist in Hage's Cockroach (2008) introjects the vermin as a representation of internalized antagonism. As the unnamed narrator struggles in an inhospitable city, he internalizes this unflinching feeling of estrangement through introjection. This process reveals how the loss of home entails the state of a vagabond who resists normalization and seeks the unruly life of the underground. The way the city of Montréal is portrayed as notorious for its indifference towards newcomers aggravates the condition of the divided self in exile, which necessitates the intrusion of the monstrous. In effect, not only does introjecting the cockroach signify a menacing presence but also suggests a decolonizing act of insubordination against a city whose hegemonic order, like its freezing weather, looms large.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)168-182
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Commonwealth Literature
Volume52
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Canadian literature
  • Diaspora
  • Exile
  • Internalization
  • Quebec
  • Rawi Hage

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