THE LINGUISTIC ALIENATION IN THE NOVEL SURFACING

  • Unique Paper ID: 193610
  • PageNo: 596-598
  • Abstract:
  • This article explores the theme of linguistic alienation in Margaret Atwood’s novel Surfacing. Existentialist thinkers have examined various forms of alienation, and Atwood extends this concern by presenting language as a barrier rather than a bridge to communication. In Surfacing, the protagonist experiences a profound disconnection from her identity and environment, which is reflected through fragmented language and the deliberate avoidance of naming characters. These linguistic strategies reveal the narrator’s inner psychological struggle and her growing sense of isolation. Furthermore, linguistic alienation in the novel reflects broader concerns of identity crisis and postcolonial dislocation, symbolizing the difficulty of communication in a fragmented world. By examining Atwood’s use of language in Surfacing, this article highlights how linguistic alienation functions as a powerful tool to explore deeper psychological and social themes.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{193610,
        author = {Potnuri Neelima Bharathi and Dr. N. Solomon Benny},
        title = {THE LINGUISTIC ALIENATION IN THE NOVEL SURFACING},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {10},
        pages = {596-598},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=193610},
        abstract = {This article explores the theme of linguistic alienation in Margaret Atwood’s novel Surfacing. Existentialist thinkers have examined various forms of alienation, and Atwood extends this concern by presenting language as a barrier rather than a bridge to communication. In Surfacing, the protagonist experiences a profound disconnection from her identity and environment, which is reflected through fragmented language and the deliberate avoidance of naming characters. These linguistic strategies reveal the narrator’s inner psychological struggle and her growing sense of isolation. Furthermore, linguistic alienation in the novel reflects broader concerns of identity crisis and postcolonial dislocation, symbolizing the difficulty of communication in a fragmented world. By examining Atwood’s use of language in Surfacing, this article highlights how linguistic alienation functions as a powerful tool to explore deeper psychological and social themes.},
        keywords = {Surfacing, Atwood, Psychology, Linguistic Alienation, Alienation.},
        month = {March},
        }

Cite This Article

Bharathi, P. N., & Benny, D. N. S. (2026). THE LINGUISTIC ALIENATION IN THE NOVEL SURFACING. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(10), 596–598.

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