Introduction: Contextualising Exile in the Modern and Literary Imaginary

AbstractThis introduction explores exile as a complex phenomenon, examining its manifestations in classical literature, religious texts, and modern narratives. It engages with the theories of Edward Said, Homi Bhabha, Frantz Fanon, and Cathy Caruth in dealing with this concept. Displacement simultaneously evokes trauma and boosts intellectual transformation. Said’s notion of the “unhealable rift” emphasises exile’s psychological toll. Bhabha’s “unhomely” reframes it as a site of cultural hybridity. Fanon’s revolutionary perspective links exile to anti-colonial resistance; meanwhile, Caruth’s trauma theory stresses its ongoing impact on memory and identity. Central to the notion of displacement is the plight of the Palestinian people, whose displacement since the Nakba of 1948 epitomises the collective trauma of displacement. The introduction also explores theatrical representations in Shakespeare’s works, particularly in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet, as analysed by Zied Ben Amor, revealing how spatial and mental displacements create “meta-selves” and challenge conventional identity constructs. Exile is manifested in global crises, digital diasporas, and cultural productions.