A home away from home: Diasporic cultural identity in Susan Abulhawa’s Morning in Jenin

This article aims to negotiate the diasporic identities in exile and their impact on the formation of national identity and self-discovery in Susan Abulhawa's Mornings in Jenin (2010). It sheds light on the forced displacement, fragmentation, alienation, and shattered identity of the forcibly dislocated characters. It also reveals the influence of the Israeli invasion and occupation of Palestine and its devastating consequences on the migratory characters. Moreover, it traces how exile and diaspora narrate mini-personal narratives of catastrophic stories of characters who live in internal and external refugees' camps. In this sense, diaspora is linked to the fracture and disintegration of the identity of Abulhawa's characters away from their homelands. Also, this study focuses on recent themes in Mornings in Jenin that are not thoroughly analysed by previous studies and research, especially the protagonist's transformation, self-discovery and growth. In addition to that, home is used metaphorically to help the diasporic characters to mature and gain self-confidence in their struggle towards achieving decolonisation, autonomy, emancipation and self-determination.