Journal of Academic Research for Humanities (JARH) is a double-blind, peer-reviewed, Open Free Access, online Multidisciplinary Research Journal
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Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026)
The International "Journal of Academic Research for Humanities"

Research Articles

Negotiating Identity in Exile: A Postcolonial Study of Ambivalence and Hybridity in Morning in Jenin

Published 20-04-2026

  • Asma Niaz
    • ,
  • Mohsin Zaheer
    • ,
  • Muhammad Talha Masood

Asma Niaz
Visiting Lecturer, Department English, Humanities and Social Sciences, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Mohsin Zaheer
Lecturer, Department of Management and Social Sciences, Faculty of English, Institution Abasyn University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Muhammad Talha Masood
Department of Humanities, English, Senior Instructor, National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract

The evolution of identity is a lifelong process, involving diverse strands of experience and exposure. This research explores Amal’s character from Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin to examine the dynamics of ambivalence and hybridity that she experiences as a Palestinian American. The objective of the research is to delineate the ambivalent and hybrid dynamics of the socio-psycho conflict experienced by the first-generation migrants from war-torn territories such as Palestine. Employing Bhabha’s concepts of ambivalence and hybridity, it highlights the problem of the constant strife of such individuals to achieve a sense of belonging while simultaneously struggling to make sense and retain the familiarity of their deeply rooted indigenous consciousness, and determine if Bhabha’s assertions are adequately applicable to the Palestinian community or not. Through textual analysis, the research analysis dialogues and instances concerning Amal’s struggle to navigate her dysphoric crisis. It is found that while Bhabha’s assertions concerning ambivalence give insight into the social and psychological toll experienced by such individuals, they do not adequately address the constant pull experienced by such characters to return to their indigenous cultures to heal the rift they experience in their selfhood in their attempts to find a home. This research serves to highlight the multifaceted dilemmas of the Palestinian plight by drawing attention to how Palestinian migrants have been depicted in the novel, continuously striving to retain their Palestinian identities from being completely absorbed into the host culture and experiencing a perpetual erasure of their roots.

Keywords

post-colonial Analysis, ambivalence, hybridity, Mornings in Jenin, Palestine

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