dc.description.abstract | Somalia is a nation that has been reeling in civil strife for more than two decades after the overthrow of Said Barre’s government in 1991.This study examines the use of allegory in presentation of Somalia’s disintegration in Nuruddin Farah’s Hiding in Plain Sight and Crossbones. The study presupposes and that there are textual metaphorical elements in the two novels. The metaphorical elements examined in the two texts include character typology, style and plot structure. In Hiding in Plain Sight, the study establishes that Farah uses these allegorical elements to demonstrate that civil strife and colonial legacy has led to displacement of Somalis from Somalia. The study focuses on the plight of global Somali citizens as they grapple with the question of what it means to be a Somali within and without Somalia and in so doing, explore not only the fragmentation of Somalism but also expose the reasons behind the disintegration and reconstitution of Somali nationalism.
In Crossbones, the study examines the rippling effects of Somalia’s fragmentation along sexual, political, religious and ethnic lines. The disintegration has resulted in the breakdown of communities, families and individuals. Notably, the breakdown of the nation has resulted in negative nationalism which has seen the rise of global terrorism, illegal businesses and piracy. The study establishes that the allegorical elements are not only consistent in representing the fragmentation but also reconstitution of Somalia’s nationalism. This study examines the reasons behind the fragmentation and reconstitution of Somalia’s nationalism. | en_US |