Generations of Exile: Resistance and The Reconstruction of Identity in Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin

Book: Cultural Memory in Translation: Revisiting Cultural Memory Through Interpretative Lens from India by CSMFL Publications

Ranjeeta Acharya1 & Dr. Raf Raf Shakil Ansari2
1Department of English, Sharda University, India; 2Assistant Professor, Sharda University, India.

10.46679/9789349926639ch09
This chapter is a part of: Cultural Memory in Translation: Revisiting Cultural Memory Through Interpretative Lens from India
ISBN (Ebook):978-93-49926-63-9
ISBN (Hardcover Print):978-93-49926-41-7
ISBN (Softcover Print):978-93-49926-75-2

© CSMFL Publications & its authors.
Published: November 10, 2025

Acharya, R. & Ansari, R. R. S. (2025). Generations of Exile: Resistance and The Reconstruction of Identity in Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin. In A. G. Uppal & D. Barot, Cultural Memory in Translation: Revisiting Cultural Memory Through Interpretative Lens (pp 123-135). CSMFL Publications. https://dx.doi.org/10.46679/9789349926639ch09

Abstract

Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin is a powerful narrative that portrays generations of a Palestinian family, capturing the trauma of displacement and the struggle for identity and resistance. The book is not only about political histories but also about the personal history of each generation. While much of the existing research focuses on themes such as trauma, memory, and exile, the specific ways in which different generations experience and contribute to the construction of Palestinian identity remain underexplored. This paper addresses this critical gap by examining how generational perspectives shape the evolution of identity in the context of forced displacement and political resistance.

Through a close textual analysis of three generations this study investigates how identity is not a static inheritance but a dynamic process influenced by personal memory, collective trauma, and socio-political conditions. By analyzing the characters through the lens of postcolonial theory and resistance theory, this paper highlights how identity is continuously negotiated across generations as an act of defiance against erasure. It highlights how the younger generation inherits not only trauma but also a resilient cultural memory that drives their resistance and reclaims their Palestinian identity. In doing so, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how literature captures the complexities of generational identity formation under colonial violence and exile. In the end, it emphasizes the role of intergenerational narratives in preserving collective memory and shaping identity that resists displacement and affirms existence.

Keywords: Collective Memory, Displacement, Erasure, Exile, Identity, Palestinian Resistance, Trauma

References

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