Identity Dilemma and the Lack of Reciprocity in Diana Abu-Jaber’s Crescent

Abstract

Diana Abu-Jaber’s Crescent astutely interweaves the search for identity into a romantic love story. This article approaches it using a new identity concept found in Amin Maalouf’s work In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong (Les identités meurtrières). It investigates the identity dilemma that the female protagonist, Sirine, faces while living in-between her conflicting Arab and American allegiances. It argues that her struggle is amplified by the lack of what Maalouf calls “reciprocity.” Sirine finds it too difficult to assimilate into the mainstream Arab culture. Arabs around her do not accept her, and she reacts by upholding her Arab identity. This article maintains that even small acts of reciprocity can reduce her identity dilemma.