Belonging in A Gesture Life

Abstract

This diploma thesis deals with the theme of belonging as portrayed in Chang-rae Lee's novel A Gesture Life. It examines how Franklin Hata's traumatic past and his internalization of transnational ideologies influence his formation of identity, processes of assimilation, and sense of belonging. The thesis discusses key concepts such as diaspora, nationalism, racial melancholia, and the model minority stereotype. The novel is analyzed primarily through postcolonial criticism and postcolonial trauma theory, with additional reference to feminist theory, psychoanalysis, and critical race theory. This approach highlights the psychological costs of assimilation for racialized subjects and reveals how postcolonial trauma shapes identity.