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@article{195464,
        author = {Cinto Jose and Dr.Julian Xercies Rigley},
        title = {Migration and Displacement in Desertion and Paradise by Abdul Razak Gurnah: A Narrative Study},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {11},
        pages = {1466-1468},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=195464},
        abstract = {The study examines the representation of migration and displacement in Desertion and Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah, focusing on how movement across geographical and cultural boundaries shapes individual and collective identities. Set against the backdrop of East African coastal history and colonial encounters, both novels portray migration not merely as physical relocation but as an ongoing process marked by memory, loss and adaptation. The study adopts a narrative approach to analyze how characters negotiate belonging within shifting social and political landscapes. In Paradise, the protagonist’s journey reveals forms of internal displacement tied to systems of trade, servitude and imperial expansion. In contrast, Desertion explores more complex, transnational movements, highlighting fractured relationships and the lingering effects of colonial histories on personal lives. 
Through close textual analysis, the paper argues that Gurnah presents migration as a condition that destabilizes fixed notions of home while also enabling new forms of identity formation. The narratives foreground the emotional and psychological dimensions of displacement, including alienation, longing and resilience. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that Gurnah’s fiction reconfigures migration as a deeply human experience shaped by historical forces and personal struggles, offering insight into broader questions of identity, belonging, and cultural transformation.},
        keywords = {Migration, Displacement, Identity, Diaspora, Postcolonialism, Belonging},
        month = {April},
        }