“Imaginary Homelands”: Henderson the Rain King and the Spiritual Quest
AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, Volume3, Number1. February 2019 Pp. 87 -99
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol3no1.7
“Imaginary Homelands”: Henderson the Rain King and the Spiritual Quest
Ramzi B. Mohamed MARROUCHI
Department of English, Faculty of Languages and Communication
Sultan ZinalAbidin University
Terengganu, Malaysia
Mohd Nazri Latiff Azmi
Department of English, Faculty of Languages and Communication
Sultan ZinalAbidin University
Terengganu, Malaysia
Abstract:
This paper investigates how and why the spiritual quest of Saul Bellow’s Henderson the Rain King (1959) enigmatically results in madness. The identity of the American subject should be investigated in the light of his/her restless search of “Other modes of freedom” and imaginary homelands. -Pondering upon this, the researcher realizes that three fundamental questions need to be addressed: What are the aspects of Henderson’s spiritual quest? -As a Jewish hero, how could Henderson be associated with quest, victimization and madness? Can one think about identity or identities? To unmask these blind spots, the theme of the quest will be investigated, first. The researcher shall trace Henderson’s movement from a material world – New York – to a spiritual and romantic one, Africa. Second, Henderson’s failure to cope with the new world and therefore his failure to (re) – construct the identity of the American character will be examined in details. This safely allows us to argue for the madness of the hero. The conclusion is that there is no ‘absolute identity’ to the American subject. Henderson’s attempts to re-construct a “new identity” shall be seen in line with poststructuralist premises regarding “difference, multiplicity, other, cultural diversity.”
Key Words: Alienation, Henderson the Rain King, Hegel, identity, Saul Bellow
Cites as: MARROUCHI, R. B. M., & Azmi, M.N.L. (2019). “Imaginary Homelands”: Henderson the Rain King and the Spiritual Quest. Arab World English Journal for Translation & Literary Studies, 3 (1) 87-99. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol3no1.7