Linguistic strategies and the construction of identity in My Name is Salma by Fadia Faqir

Abstract

Contemporary Arab-English writers (American or British) share with other ethnic writers many features of post-colonial literary texts, most prominent among which is the appropriation of language. This paper investigates the ways in which language is appropriated by Fadia Faqir through the main character of her novel My Name is Salma. In her ongoing search for identity, Salma (the narrator) uses certain linguistic strategies for self-definition. These strategies can be divided into two major types: interlanguage and code-switching. Interlanguage is expressed syntactically, semantically, and phonologically. Code-switching, on the other hand, includes loan words, untranslated words, terms of address, items of clothing, food, reference to religion and reference to proverbs, wise sayings and songs. However, these linguistic strategies often interact and overlap.