The Psychology of the Third Space: Fragmented Hybrid Identities in Lyrics Alley, The Map of Love and In the Eye of the Sun

Abstract

This dissertation underscores the psychological facets of Homi Bhabha’s concept of the Third Space, an arena where culturally hybrid identities are formed and negotiated. With acknowledgment of the transformative potential of cultural hybridity in shaping dynamic identities and challenging established power structures, this thesis, rather, examines its frequently neglected psychological consequences, particularly for female characters who navigate conflicting cultural and gender expectations. Through the analysis of three positions —insider, outsider, and insider-outsider— embodied respectively by three principal characters from three different texts, Soraya Abuzeid in Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela, Anna Winterbourne in The Map of Love, and Asya al-Ulama in In the Eye of the Sun, both authored by Ahdaf Soueif, the study demonstrates that the Third Space, while facilitating hybrid identities and providing new cultural possibilities, concurrently presents considerable psychological burdens. Soraya, an insider navigating the intersection of Sudanese traditions and Western modernity, confronts the combined demands of patriarchal norms and colonial standards, exposing the psychological intricacies that accompany these interactions. Anna, a British outsider attempting to assimilate into Egyptian culture, experiences alienation from her colonial origins and encounters estrangement in her adopted society, underscoring the fragility of cultural belonging. Finally, Asya, an insider-outsider reflecting both Egyptian and Western traits, grapples with self-doubt and the psychological dissonance of reconciling contradictory cultural paradigms, exacerbated by her opposition to systems of patriarchy. Ultimately, this study concludes with an emphasis on the duality of the Third Space as a site of both potential and conflict as it extends discussions of hybridity from its liberatory possibilities to its psychological ramifications, particularly for women in colonial, postcolonial, and globalised contexts. Through its nuanced exploration of identity, culture, and gender, this thesis attempts to offer fresh insights into the complex interplay of cultural hybridity in literature.