Dislocations of Identity in Late Twentieth Century Armenian Diaspora Literature

Keshishyan, Lilit · 2013

Enters the debate in diaspora studies over how much a physical homeland matters when defining expatriate communities as diasporic, working through the literary output of three Armenian diaspora writers: Vahé Oshagan, Hakob Karapents, and Vahe Berberian. It examines how identity is represented and reconceptualized in Armenian diaspora literature of the late twentieth century by reading characters' relationships to the many spaces they call home. The author argues these works offer a complex view of the diasporic subject because they acknowledge the duality of living outside one's 'home' country and then push past that binary, rejecting romanticized narratives of origin and place. Rather than finding solace in any single space, the characters' searching and wandering becomes the only stable fixture in their lives, and so defines their identity.

Citation checked against the publisher's record on 2026-07-13.