Crossing Borders, Breaking Barriers

Exploring Migration, ‘Othering,’ and Identity in Bangladeshi Women's Fiction—Insights from Brick Lane and The Bones of Grace

Abstract

This study examines how Monica Ali’s Brick Lane and Tahmima Anam’s The Bones of Grace portray South Asian migrant female characters through the interrelated themes of “Othering” and identity formation. Employing a comparative literary analysis rooted in feminist and postcolonial theory, particularly de Beauvoir’s notion of “Othering” and Butler’s theory of gender performativity, the study analyses how migration influences. It alters women’s lives in various situations. Comparative literary analyses revealed that in Brick Lane, “Othering” is rooted in the structural and cultural constraints of an immigrant enclave in East London, where Nazneen’s early passivity gives way to incremental acts of agency and the formation of a hybrid identity. In The Bones of Grace, “Othering” is more mobile, shifting across transnational settings as Zubaida navigates complex cultural expectations and undertakes a personal quest for belonging. Both protagonists approach their identity in different ways. Nazneen’s process is slow and adaptive; Zubaida’s is more conscious. In either instance, identity work serves as a form of resistance against marginalization. These works portray women’s fiction as a means of cultural activism. This paper contributes to the research on gendered migration by demonstrating how literature can reveal the diverse experiences of migrating women and challenge simplistic narratives.