Literature as Protest: Rewriting Borders and Belonging in Refugee Narratives

This study looks at how contemporary literature about refugees is meant to protest and can give new meanings to ideas of borders, who we are and belonging. This research uses Boochani’sNo Friend But the Mountains and Hamid’s Exit West to study the ways authors use stories, imagery and themes to challenge common ideas about refugees. Using Gloria Anzaldúa’s (1987) idea of the “borderlands” as its foundation, this study looks at how each text alters geographical, cultural and emotional boundaries. Five main themes are highlighted in the analysis: crossing borders, the concept of displacement and exile, trying to build identity, using stories of resistance and seeking other types of community. Drawing on poetry, Boochani shares how suffering and resistance are central to life in detention, yet Hamid humorously redefines common perspectives on migration and personal identities. They make use of things like mountains and doors to show how their main characters deal with the breakdown of their mind and how they use their creativity. It is shown that refugee literature both captures trauma and can be used as a tool to shape and intervene in society. The report shows that literature connected to exile brings about confusion in static national, cultural and emotional boundaries, providing additional frameworks for the world’s displaced populations. Ideas include adding works by refugees to the list of classic books, using literature from refugees in schools and acknowledging its influence on society and policy. All in all, the research spotlights how literature helps change the way researchers see refugees as people who can act, imagine and stand up for themselves.