Monica Ali s Brick Lane: A tale of two cities or How Nazneen left her fate

Abstract

The objective of this dissertation is to analyze the novel Brick Lane (2003), by Monica Ali, focusing on the process of empowerment of the protagonist Nazneen. By making use of the concepts of place and non-place proposed by Marc Augé, I intend to examine passages from the novel that characterize the feeling of not-belonging experienced by the character. Nazneen resorts to the memories of her childhood with her sister Hasina in Bangladesh in order to escape the physical space of Brick Lane, which is a non-place for Nazneen, who is unable to reconstruct her identity fragmented in the process of dislocation from one culture to another. Considering the historical and cultural aspects of Bangladesh, Nazneen s homeland, this work intends to discuss the experiences of the protagonist and other diasporic subjects in the novel as well as to analyze the crucial role played by Hasina (and her letters) in the narrative. The present multicultural and cosmopolitan context of London will also be investigated, with a discussion of real situations affecting immigrants and their representations in the novel. This dissertation also considers the gendered nature of contemporary migratory movements which offer new perspectives on the consequences of diaspora. I will also analyze selected passages from the novel that highlight the gradual process of autonomy experienced by Nazneen who, eventually, feels at home again