Landscapes of transformation: the role of physical and psychological geography in the quest for identity in Pajtim Statovci’s Crossing

Abstract

In "Landscapes of Transformation: The Role of Physical and Psychological Geography in the Quest for Identity in Pajtim Statovci's Crossing," this thesis looks at how migration has a major effect on how people form their identities. It looks at how geographical settings and cultural dislocation affect the protagonist Bujar's gender and sociopolitical identities. This work explores themes such as self-balkanization, nesting orientalism, hybrid identity, and the notion of the native foreigner using an interdisciplinary theoretical framework including postcolonial theory, psychoanalysis, and gender studies. The study also interacts with Homi Bhabha's third Space theory, Judith Butler's concept of performative gender, Erikson's identity development phases, and the third individuation process to show Bujar's fractured and fluid identity. The study demonstrates that migration disturbs conventional identity structures by means of a complicated psychological process rather than only a physical change. By stressing the interdependence of geographical, cultural, and psychological aspects in forming identity, this thesis adds fresh understanding of the migrant experience and the continuous negotiation of self in a postmodern society, so contributing to the debate on migration literature.