The Other and the Identity Crisis in Saud Alsanousi's The Bamboo Stalk

Abstract

This research explores identity and its impact on narrative discourse in Saud Alsanousi’s The Bamboo Stalk, focusing on its broader implications for Gulf literature and specifically Kuwaiti narratives. The novel highlights identity crises within the Gulf region, where societal structures create unique identity challenges. The Bamboo Stalk critically examines the relationship between identity and the "Other" from a fresh narrative and cultural perspective, portraying authoritarian societies and the struggles of marginalized identities facing oppression, exclusion, and denial. The study is organized into an introduction and two sections: “Difference and the Crisis of the Other” and “Exclusionary Identity and the Impossibility of Coexistence.” The findings reveal two main types of identities: fragmented and closed. The closed identity is represented by the Kuwaiti citizen, who firmly rejects integration with other identities, even those to which they are directly connected, as illustrated by Jose’s mixed heritage. Meanwhile, Howse embodies a fragmented identity, torn between Kuwait and the Philippines, facing rejection in both societies. His inability to gain legitimacy or recognition through his Kuwaiti lineage underscores the deep-seated identity struggles portrayed in the novel.