Representation of Hybridity, Language, and the Politics of Translation in Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah

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Close textual analysis reveals hybridity as identity formation in Afterlives, highlighting translation's role in colonial power dynamics.

Hybridity challenges binary frameworks, showing identity as an active process rather than a passive state.
Translation acts as a medium of resistance, with characters engaging in multilingual interactions involving Kiswahili, German, Arabic, and English.
Gurnah depicts language acquisition as both a tool of colonial domination and a means of personal connection, as seen in Schiller’s poetry translation.
The novel illustrates how hybrid identities empower colonized people within oppressive systems, offering insights into postcolonial identity in today's globalized world.

Tiwade et al. (2025) studied this question.

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