Liminal Identity and Social Bond in Monica Ali’s Brick Lane
Brick Lane is a novel by Monica Ali based on a story of a woman known as Nazneen from an Indian origin. Nazneen was born and raised in Bangladesh, but was forced to marry a man twice her age through a planned wedding. She moved to London with her husband where they started living together. However, life in London turned against her expectations whereby she was restricted by her religion and culture. Islamic culture has various restrictions whereby women are supposed to live under the supervision of their husbands. Nazneen was restricted to work or travel alone by her husband, Chanu. The novel revolves around the life of Nazneen and her life in London. She had various intertwined experiences while trying to reinvent her life as an independent woman, but the foreign society could not allow. Life in London was beyond her expectation and to other immigrants from an Indian origin. Therefore, Nazneen tried to build her life within the new community trying to break the chains of her ethnic culture by embracing the new community of the city life. For instance, Nazneen applied the hybridity idea of adopting western culture but was faced with an ambivalent situation of deciding between following her culture and embracing the multiculturalism. Therefore, this paper focuses on the struggle faced by immigrants in their new community as well as the creation of self-awareness.
Theoretical Framework of Homi Bhabha Ideas
Homi Bhaba is a man well known for his theories regarding cultural studies whereby he has tried to explain the concept of multiculturalism. Homi Bhabha uses words like luminal, mimicry, ambivalence, and hybrid in his books explaining the process of cultural productivity. For instance, Bhaba explained the process of exploring nationhood and the realisation of national identity (Rahaman, 2010). People tend to struggle in transforming their lives to fit in a foreign country based on colonialism whereas many individuals would find it hard to transform from their state of mind to fit in other nations. Based on Homi Bhabha’s ideas, the novel Brick Lane by Monica Ali has pointed out the life of Nazneen as a protagonist who tries to fit in her new environment in London (Ali, 2008). Nazneen is an originating Indian character who tries a new life in London with her husband, but life in the new environment is full of complications compared to her original home in Bangladesh.
Bhabha explains the idea of ambivalence as a context whereby an individual experience a sense of discomfort or discontent based on one’s thought. Ambivalence is based on a state of mind where an individual is unable to decide what or when to choose something (Rahaman, 2010). For example, Nazneen in her new life in London, is experiencing discomfort by not believing in her husband’s decisions and at some points; she is seen deciding to follow her husband’s actions. However, ambivalence is experienced in a large context by the immigrants in London who views that the British government does not recognise their presence yet; they are living in a foreign land. The immigrants think that the effects of post-colonialism are affecting their lives and are the cause of their failures in London. For instance, Ali (2008) claims that Chanu, Nazneen’s husband, is discontented with his life in London and thinks that racial or ethnic discrimination affects his life by hindering his potential for success.
Additionally, Homi Bhabha idea included the liminality in the context of transitioning from one culture to another. Rahaman, (2010) argues that liminality is the process of transition from one community to another whereby an individual feels like they are transformed into a new environment through a rite of passage. For instance, Nazneen transformed from a native Indian community to her new London environment through marriage. Nazneen married Chanu who had lived in London for more than two decades (Ali, 2008). Therefore, Nazneen had changed her original culture to adopt the new culture in London despite the hardships and discontent in her social status. Furthermore, Nazneen did not belong to British culture and felt as if the new adoption of London culture would ruin her children. Nazneen believed that adopting the British culture would affect her original culture based on her beliefs and would result to the reproductivity of her culture whereby she would choose the British-way of living (Rahaman, 2010). Therefore, the struggles of living in London were a result of liminal changes through historical and cultural transformation.
Liminal Identity Construction in London
Identity construction is based on the struggles faced by an individual in an effort of fitting in a new environment. Identity formation entails the process of analysing issues related to religion and culture in the way of identifying the suitable tactics employed in an environment. For instance, DeHanas (2015) pointed out that young immigrants struggled to find their identity in the East London. Furthermore, DeHanas (2015) argues that the young immigrants tried to inherit a foreign culture which was identified as fixed and required specific tactics that would help an immigrant in surviving in London. Therefore, Nazneen is seen as one of the young immigrants who have faced difficulties in adopting the new environment in London. The struggle is present in the process of living within Nazneen’s cultural and spiritual beliefs and the emergence of a new western culture in England. For example, Nazneen is required to work and travel freely in London but her husband Chanu does not allow (Alexander, 2011). Similarly, the young immigrants find it hard to adapt to their new environment based on their culture and religion. Ali, (2008) claimed that Chanu was worried about the way the immigrant youths had adopted the western culture of living and could ruin their native culture. The youths were seen engaging in the use of drugs and feared that his children would end up being spoiled.
The transitional process of adapting the London culture was faced with hardship where many young people were involved in drug abuse. For instance, Alexander (2011) claimed that the British Bangladeshi Community was described in the Monica Ali’s novel Brick Lane as a struggling nation where the Indian immigrants lived. Additionally, the novel portrayed the lives of young people in the Bangladeshi community as drug addicts and gangsters. For instance, some children were recruited in a gang related to drug peddlers and thugs who were recognised in the community (Ali, 2008). Therefore, the novel was a sign of the struggle experienced by the immigrants in their new environment in London.
Adopting the new London environment was the problem facing Nezneen. She was bound to live by her cultural beliefs and religion whereby she was not entitled to work or travel freely in London. For example, the transitioning process of adopting the new London life does not entail the full-enclosure of England as depicted in books, pictures, or history. Chanu and Nazneen have been in London for a long time but have never been able to explore the entire England to see the exact picture (Kral, 2007). Additionally, the novel is focused on portraying the lives of immigrants in an enclosed village that does not get out exploring the entire London. Another example is seen in the novel whereby Chanu his family are touring England, and the English Natives take pictures of them as if they are tourists from another country. Therefore, Ali (2008) draws the picture of the struggle for space and recognition towards the immigrants including Nazneen and Chanu.
Nazneen is the central character in the novel, and every chapter revolves around her daily life. Nazneen comes to England as Chanu’s wife who appears to be conservative and thinks that his wife would have simple duties of cooking and cleaning. However, Nazneen’s life in England is faced with the struggle for a change as she feels like she is not contented with her domestic life. Nazneen is filled with ambitions and wants to explore the world but her husband Chanu could not allow. The fight for recognition and the search for cultural identity is seen when Nazneen is eager to learn English, but her reluctant husband disapproves. However, Karim comes to the rescue and introduces Nazneen to the outside world. Karim is Nazneen’s lover and is portrayed as a person who views Nazneen as a woman beyond her religion and culture (Kral, 2007). Additionally, Nazneen beats the odds by learning English and fitting in the new environment behind her husband’s knowledge. Kral (2007) claims that Nazneen and her slow progress in the awakening are helpful in the rejuvenation of a self-realization whereby the new London environment plays an important role. She was determined in learning English as a start of her journey towards her self-realization and identity construction.
Social Relations and Identity Transition
The novel has many characters that are seen developing from one stage to another. Some characters are portrayed as stereotypes and have experienced unending misery which is seen as a failure towards character development. Some analysts of the novel argue that the author lost plot by portraying the British culture as progressive and failing to recognise the development of Asian immigrants. For instance, Perfect (2008) argues that Hasina, Nazneen’s sister is portrayed as a stereotype that is always in trouble. Hasina’s life is filled with misery and subjugation whereby she failed to live by parental advice, she also left her husband and started prostitution, and her faith to Allah is questionable (Perfect, 2008). However, the novel is relatable to the struggle towards self-realization as seen through various characters such as Nazneen and her sister Hasina.
Additionally, character realisation and identity development are experienced in the novel. Nazneen is a woman living under the wings of her husband. She depends on her husband for everything including meals, clothing, and housing. However, Nazneen decides to move out of her cocoon by campaigning on her liberation to work independently. Chanu fails to approve Nazneen decisions, but later he gives in and allows her to work at home. Nazneen has developed from being a domestic wife and got a chance to improve their family’s lives (Ali, 2008). With the help of Karim, Nazneen can work at home whereby Karim brings her the commodities she works with.
Nazneen decides to be left behind in England as her husband travels back to his homeland in Bangladesh. The decision is based on the self-realization that helps Nazneen to decide to follow her fate. However, Perfect (2008) points out that Nazneen had decided to live in London despite being left alone by her husband because of her urge to explore the world and living on her own and making her decisions. Furthermore, Hasina, Nazneen’s sister had regularly sent Nazneen letters which portrayed her life in Bangladesh. Hasina had instigated mixed reactions that probably confused Nazneen. For example, the mentioning of life in Bangladesh and the riots, insecurity, unemployment, and other city vices could have confused Nazneen (Ali, 2008). Therefore, Nazneen feared to return to her homeland and face the wrath of her fate. Similarly, Nazneen’ late mother had advised her children about fate and claimed that no one could avoid fate. Nazneen decided to abandon her husband to take care of her two daughters in England where she had started to progress within the new environment (Perfect, 2008). Nazneen also feared that going back to Bangladesh would mean that she gained freedom from their cultural activities would end knowing that Bangladesh would be different compared to England.
Additionally, Ali (2008) develops the character of Hasina as a victim of nature in all aspects of life. Hasina is a woman who has been affected by fate but does not give up in life. Hasina’s life must go on regardless of the situation. For instance, Hasina was working as a casual worker, and after losing her job, she slides into prostitution to pay her bills. Furthermore, Perfect (2008) portrays Hasina as a street woman who has nothing to offer to the world but herself. Similarly, Hasina receives a marriage proposal regardless of her situation. She is filled with joy and accepts the marriage proposal, but ironically her life takes a twist when she starts sleeping with the landlord after failing to pay the rent. It seems like her life is filled with misery to the extent of disbelieving herself. However, Hasina grew knowing that men and women could not mix during work within a company, but Ali, (2008) displayed the progress in liberating women from oppression when she managed to change the concept of women being allowed to work in male-dominated territories. Therefore, Perfect (2008) discussed the growth of feminism seen between Hasina and Nazneen. For instance, Hasina grew powerless and excluded towards the society while Nazneen develops power as portrayed in London. Furthermore, Hasina is abandoned by almost every man that she encounters with while Nazneen is responsible for leaving both Chanu and Karim. Nazneen as well manages to start her business with the help of Razia and shows how she would become successful and independent. Therefore, Perfect (2008) managed to portray the growth of personality from naivety to prowess with the help of Brick Lane novel.
City Experience in Transforming Self-awareness
The novel Brick Lane was based on the lives of Indian immigrants in London whereby most of the immigrants were fighting for a spot in England. Life in the streets was not easy based on the assumption that the immigrants had to survive and fight for a space in the economic crisis. Therefore, Ali (2008) described the life in London as cruel because the immigrants could not pose similar opportunities seen with the Britons. Similarly, the immigrants were living in a specific area named as Bengali originating from the name Bangladesh as one of the towns in India. Furthermore, Bengali was made through a process of recognising the efforts of people of Bangladesh and their contributions to the British Economy. Additionally, racial segregation and ethnic discrimination were among the attributes that contributed to the fight for space in London.
Bengali was made from the immigrants’ perspective and culture whereby the people in Bengali originated from Bangladesh. However, Alexander (2011) claimed that the making of Bengali community as the British Bangladeshi Community was based on the assumption that people fought for space in London. However, the making of Bengali Community was faced with demonstrations which occurred because of the negative portrayal of the Brick Lane movie. Alexander (2011) claimed that Brick Lane novel was subjected to be produced as a movie, but the Bengali residents protested because of the things that were viewed as negative as portrayed in the novel. Therefore, the Protestants based their argument that the lives of the immigrants were viewed and defined as little dirty monkeys. Furthermore, Ali (2008) has portrayed Bengali residents as uneducated, illiterate, and close minded. Therefore, the demonstrations were based on the need of the community to awaken and disregard the making of the Brick Lane film. Therefore, the demonstrators had presented their arguments that they could not withstand a film production that undermined and degraded their community in a foreign land.
Additionally, Bengali community is portrayed as the oppressed and the minority group in the London community. For instance, the media did not have the chance to represent the people of the Bengali community. Furthermore, Ali (2008) failed to present an instance whereby the London government allowed the immigrants to have representatives. Additionally, Alexander (2011) discussed the novel as a site where the minority community in London struggled as one of the failures of British multiculturalism as the minority communities experienced segregation and ethnic disparities. Therefore, the Bengali community suffered at the hands of British communism as they tried to fit in the new community and new environment. Furthermore, the experience was similar in the eyes of Nazneen and her family. They had tried every means to survive in the city but were faced with difficulties such as racial segregation, unemployment opportunities, and the evils of the societies. Some of the evils in the city are the involvement of unethical standards such as youths and crimes.
Self-realization was a form of practice involved in the personal identification and the role played by an individual in creating a community. For instance, the Bengali residents managed to act on the progress of their community to build their culture in their new environment. However, Sharpe (2005) argued that the process of liminality and transfer of identity was based on the need of a community to withstand their new environment. For instance, the multiculturalism and transnationalism viewed in France in Europe and the people originating from Morocco and Algeria. Therefore, the people within the new territories formed for the minority communities in France received minimal recognition and had to fight for their identity and space in the foreign land. A similar example was seen in Brick Lane novel whereby Ali, (2008) portrayed Nazneen and other immigrants as people who struggled for their identity in London. Similarly, Nazneen was torn between two cultures, between two worlds, and the struggle between trying to fit in the foreign country (Sharpe, 2005). Furthermore, Nazneen and her people tried to gain an identity in the new community hence.
Conclusion
Liminal identity in the lives of the immigrants living in London was a form of forming a new community within the British communities without forgetting their original cultural and traditional beliefs. However, living in London as Indian immigrants was against the expectations whereby Nazneen and her family were faced with difficulties and struggles. For instance, Nazneen and her husband could not fit in the new environment where cultural beliefs were different compared to their homeland. Similarly, Chanu, Nazneen’s husband believed that he had the power to control Nazneen even in their new environment. Nazneen was not supposed to work or move around alone, but the London economy required both of their contribution to boosting their lives. Therefore, Brick Lane novel portrayed the lives of Indian immigrants in the midst of London community and their struggles to survive in Britain in the context of Nazneen and her husband. Furthermore, the book based their arguments within the context of Homi Bhabha’s ideas whereby he believed that luminal identity was a sign of a struggle to fight for self-identity and self-recognition as seen in several minority communities. Homi Bhabha discussed the definitions of liminality, hybridity, and ambivalence as some of the contributors to the formation of a community.
References
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Ali, M. (2008). Brick lane: A novel. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
Bhabha, H. K. (2012). The location of culture. New York, NY: Routledge.
DeHanas, D. N. (2015). Elastic orthodoxy: The tactics of young Muslim identity in the East End of London. Everyday lived Islam in Europe, 69-84.
Kral, F. (2007). Shaky ground and new territorialities in Brick Lane by Monica Ali and the namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Journal of Postcolonial Writing, 43(1), 65-76.
Perfect, M. (2008). The multicultural bildungsroman: Stereotypes in Monica Ali’s Brick Lane. The Journal of Commonwealth Literature, 43(3), 109-120.
Rahaman, V. (2010). Liminality, mimicry, hybridity, and ambivalent in literary speculations of Homi K. Bhabha. Noderstedt: GRIN Verla.
Sharpe, M. D. (2005). Maghrebi migrants and writers: Liminality, transgression and the transferal of identity. Dialectical anthropology, 29(3-4), 397-421.
