Straddling the Borders: Displacement and Selfreinvention in Dinaw Mangestu’s All Our Names

Abstract

The burgeoning dissatisfaction towards the prevalent status quo in most of post independent African countries urges many young people to look for opportunities beyond their geographical borders. Dinaw Mangestu’s latest novel All Our Names introduces us to a hybrid piece of literature. Placing the human experience at the forefront of all subjects, Mangestu’s fiction departs from the traditional binary Center/ Periphery discourse. Moving from Africa to America requires crossing borders, which leads to transgressing spaces. Unlike other migrant experiences, Isaac relinquishes the idea of returning back to his home country. By doing so, the protagonist undergoes critical situations where his identity put to the test. This research sheds light on the dilemma of displacement and the need to establish a new life abroad, which drives the protagonist to sink his own roots profoundly while being on a shaky ground. It tackles the globalized features of the modern world as lived by those immigrants.