The Narrative of Trading Safari in Gurnah's Paradise

Foreign Literature Studies ›› 2022, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (2): 68-79.

• Studies on the Nobel Prize Winning Author: Abdulrazak Gurnah • Previous Articles Next Articles

The Narrative of Trading Safari in Gurnah's Paradise

Lu Min

Online:2022-04-25 Published:2022-04-29
About author:Lu Min is a professor at the College of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Normal University (Shanghai 200234, China) and one of the leading members of the innovative research team on “The Diversity of World Literature and Transfers between Civilizations” in Shanghai, speclializing in African literature in English, English and American literature. Email: lumin@shnu.edu.cn
Supported by:
“A History of African Literature in English” (19ZDA296) sponsored by the National Social Science Fund of China

Abstract

Abstract: Abdulrazak Gurnah's Paradise vividly represents the complexity of East African society, economy, politics, and culture between the second half of the 19th century and the start of World War I through young Yusuf's growth and participation in the trading safaris. Gurnah relies on the traditional, purposeful, nomadic, and reflective characteristics of trading safaris that have lasted in East Africa for more than 2,000 years in developing an embedded narrative structure with layers of ever-deepening narration. Based on the stories from The Koran, The Bible, and many Swahili travelogues, he creates a wide world of trading safaris that not only features numerous images of characters and complicated relationships among them, but also transcends a broad realm of time and space. While taking the readers along for a spiritual journey, across time and space, with the trading safaris from the Indian Ocean to African interior and from Mombasa to Russia, Gurnah reflects, comprehensively, on East African trade, slavery, European colonization, and Islamic and Indian cultural heritage, and demonstrates his superb narrative craft as well.

Key words: Gurnah, Paradise, the Narrative of Trade Safari

Lu Min. The Narrative of Trading Safari in Gurnah's Paradise[J]. Foreign Literature Studies, 2022, 44(2): 68-79.

References

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