Deconstructing Muslim Identity: Rewriting Racialized Narratives in Post-9/11 American Fiction

Abstract

This article examines the notion of redefining national identity in post-9/11 American fiction. In a society in which appears a predominant racializing sensibility, especially after a horrific event like the September 11 attacks, the Muslims in America have often been constructed as people of fear and suspicion. However, contemporary Muslim-American writers have chosen to fight back. Writing is their weapon to fight back against those stereotypes and try to give the full three- dimensional Muslim life. Through the analysis of Mohsin Hamid's Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007), Laila Lalami's The Moor's Account (2014), as well as Ayad Akhtar's American Dervish (2012), this paper uncovers how these writers skillfully implement the notion of cultural hybridity, belongingness and faith, and end up changing the way Muslims are viewed in the society at large. Through the use of complex plots and characterization, these writers allow for breakdown of monolithic images that are often held of Muslims, creating room for compassion, consideration, and exploration of varying experiences within the Muslim community. While some studies have argued that fiction is just as much in a critique of racialized perceptions as anything else, this research has found that fiction becomes a catalyst for social change when considering the issues of identity, culture, and integration in today's post-9/11 America.