Representation of Hybridity, Language, and the Politics of Translation in Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah

The present research paper is an endeavour to examine the representation of hybridity, language, and politics of translation in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s novel titled Afterlives. Through close textual analysis of the novel, it is noticed that Gurnah has portrayed hybridity not as a passive colonial condition but as an active process of identity formation that challenges binary frameworks. The study systematically analyzes various important scenes from the novel where characters are engaged in a multilingual scenario, and languages like Kiswahili, German, Arabic, and English are used for interaction. It is the reflection of colonial power structures. The strategic translation practices of Hamza about his deliberate “pretence of struggling to understand” documents written in German while working as an interpreter reveal translation as a medium of resistance rather than neutral communication. The research discusses Gurnah’s depiction of language acquisition as both a tool of colonial domination and a means of personal connection, as seen in the translation of Schiller’s poetry for Afiya by Hamza. The present research shows that Afterlives is the representation of hybrid identities and linguistic interactions as continuous processes through which colonized people assert their power within oppressive systems. It offers vital insights into postcolonial identity formation that remain relevant in our globalized world.