The traditional literary coverage of border and frontier in American and Canadian literature has always been closely linked to war, survival, trauma, trauma time, immigration as well as exile and has re-gained interest of many contemporary writers and critics after 9/11.
Since that date both terms have been discussed on a collective, national or individual level thus throwing light on the manifold consequences of this new interpretation of the complex term border which is of special interest here.
The literary dealing with border and its consequences in El Akkad's novel American War (2017) must yet be seen in a close relationship between border and war. The incorporation of war into English speaking literature itself has a long tradition since wars as such form ideal literary backgrounds for plot, character development or political criticism. In times of civil uproar, political insecurity, outer enemies or ongoing wars this incorporation of war as a literary means has always been present. This is recently perhaps best shown by the events of 9/11. They have not only taken American literature out from its long involvement in local matters such as family, village or town but pushed it into new directions which formed completely new types of novels such as the 9/11 Novel, the post-9/11 Novel or Ground Zero Fiction where war gained a new dimension which is so different from war literature of the First World War, the Second World War or the Vietnam War.
In many cases this literary coverage of 9/11 has mostly remained in American families or matters and it lacked an appropriate coverage of foreign perspectives.
EI Akkad's novel American War (2017) exactly fits into this background not only because it is written by an author originating from a Muslim background it also brings the topic war back to America to discuss it here. This is new and radical in the sense that readers suddenly are confronted with problems such as war, terrorism, suicide bombers or chemical warfare which so far have been placed on foreign battlegrounds.
El Akkad combines two main trends of Muslim writing which are characterized by bringing the narration into the West or by taking it back into the former colonies. By choosing a civil war as the setting for his novel he mixes both trends while importing terror back to the USA which is to blame for it.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Abstract
I. Introduction
II. American and English War Literature – a short Survey
III. Border Fiction – a short Survey
IV. Border and Borderline in the face of 9/11
V. The literary background of American War or the American South as a Border
VI. Conclusion
VII. Outlook
Epilogue
VIII. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This essay examines the intersection of border studies, war literature, and contemporary speculative fiction, specifically focusing on how Omar El Akkad’s novel American War (2017) utilizes the American South as a dystopian border zone to reflect the political and social aftermath of 9/11 and the ongoing nature of modern conflict.
- The evolution of war as a central theme in English and American literature.
- The function of "border fiction" in negotiating national identity and trauma.
- The synthesis of traditional Southern literature and postcolonial perspectives in American War.
- The impact of 9/11 on contemporary narrative structures and the "myth of the fall."
- The representation of dystopian futures as reflections of current global political insecurities.
Excerpt from the Book
V. The literary background of American War or the American South as a Border
In the South there is no future, “only three kinds of past - the distant past of heritage, the near past of experience, and the past in waiting” (AW 316).
It is this passage taken from AW which seems to describe best if one reflects the term American South. To give a precise definition of what Southern literature stands for is difficult to do since its literary fields are various and multiple. In the past it consisted of branches like Plantation literature, White Southern Womanhood and Race, Humour Writing, Rise of Local Colour, the Civil War Era and the Advent of a lost Cause, The Rise of the Critical Spirit or African American Literature and Slave Narrative which all formed what the wider term Southern Literature today stands for.
The author of this essay reflects Southern literature from two backgrounds. One understands Southern literature equally as literature of the American South in the sense that it covers writers coming from this region. The other is a more wider term since it implies all authors who use the American South as their place for narration, as does El Akkad.
El Akkad in a way provokes this traditional concept of Southern literature but he also reflects typical Southern topics of this genre such as Southern history, the significance of family, a sense of community, justice and not to forget the terms war and civil war marked by border thinking.
Chapter Summaries
I. Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the literary history of war as a pervasive human theme and discusses the shift in perspective following the 9/11 attacks.
II. American and English War Literature – a short Survey: An overview of how war has been depicted in English-speaking literature, tracing the transition from heroic battle narratives to contemporary concerns with trauma and global conflict.
III. Border Fiction – a short Survey: This section defines border fiction as a genre that navigates the geopolitical and symbolic dimensions of borders, especially in the context of globalization and North American identity.
IV. Border and Borderline in the face of 9/11: An analysis of how the post-9/11 landscape has forced authors to re-examine the physical and psychological barriers between nations and the "othering" of perceived enemies.
V. The literary background of American War or the American South as a Border: This chapter situates El Akkad’s novel within the tradition of Southern literature while exploring how he subverts these tropes to comment on modern American political division.
VI. Conclusion: A synthesis of the study, reinforcing that borders act as both barriers and catalysts for identity construction in the modern age.
VII. Outlook: A brief discussion on the contemporary relevance of the novel's themes, specifically regarding migration, state terrorism, and the rise of surveillance culture.
VIII. Bibliography: A comprehensive listing of primary and secondary sources utilized in the critical analysis.
Keywords
American War, border fiction, Omar El Akkad, 9/11, war literature, Southern literature, identity, trauma, dystopia, postcolonialism, terrorism, geopolitical, surveillance, borderlands, nationhood.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this critical essay?
The essay explores the relationship between war, borders, and literature, specifically using Omar El Akkad’s novel American War as a focal point to discuss how modern fiction processes the legacy of 9/11.
What are the central thematic fields?
The paper covers the evolution of the war novel, the concept of borderlands in North American literature, the representation of "the other," and the impact of geopolitical conflicts on domestic identity.
What is the author's main research question?
The research investigates how El Akkad employs the American South as a dystopian border zone to mirror contemporary global political crises and the shifting nature of American democracy.
Which methodology is applied in the study?
The study utilizes a literary and cultural studies approach, drawing on theoretical frameworks like postcolonial studies and trauma theory to analyze the intersection of narrative and real-world political developments.
What is the scope of the main analysis?
The main part of the work centers on the link between traditional Southern literary themes and the futuristic, dystopian elements in American War, treating the novel as a "mirror" of current societal fissures.
Which keywords characterize this study?
Key terms include border fiction, 9/11, post-9/11 novel, American South, trauma, identity, terrorism, and dystopian literature.
How does the novel American War relate to the American Civil War?
The novel projects a future version of the American Civil War, using the North/South divide to explore modern issues like biological warfare, climate change, and institutional lawlessness.
How does the author interpret the role of Sarat Chestnut?
Sarat is analyzed as a victim of the border—a character who is both fascinated and rejected by it, whose personal trauma is inextricably linked to the larger, violent political conflict surrounding her.
- Citation du texte
- Dr. Matthias Dickert (Auteur), 2018, Contemporary American and Canadian border fiction, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/449794
