Vakat For "Nevakat": Identity Creation And Identity Policy In Derviš Sušić's Novel

Abstract

Identity is a topic of intense discussion in recent decades, not only in scientific circles, but also among society at large. In this regard, the unstable Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bosniak identity generated by the parallel and traumatic processes of Europeanisation and late nationalization are extremely interesting to researchers of various disciplines, including literature. Turbulent times leave their mark not only through material evidence (or deletion or absence of such evidence), but also in shaping individualidentities. In literary texts, Bosnia-Herzegovina writers question these mostly from the individual position. In this respect, the novel “Nevakat” by Derviš Sušić is paradigmatic. This paper will focus on Agan Babunić, Bosniak of noble origin, an heir to the oriental tradition, exploring the construction of personal history (the trial of maturity), and perception, i.e. the construction of reality in the eyes of a returnee from abroad, including his positioning of Bosnia in the imagined and the real social and historical context. For Agan, Bosnia presents cultural and identity framework into which he is trying to repatriate and find himself over again. In this sense, the goal of this work is to explore how this novel deals (and resolves) the relationship between the subject and the historical, ethnic, and identity issues. The starting point to Sušić’s worldview - Marxist humanism - is also an essential angle of illumination and understanding of decisions and actions of his heroes, whether it be a deviation from the fixed ways of life or from the psycho-social and gender aspects of their existence. Special attention is given to the construction of identity, representation of female characters, and references to the cultural memory through the application of recent theoretical models(Judith Butler, Michel Foulcaut) and findings, especially about genealogy, gender, and border identities. The analytical-interpretational mechanisam that had been put out, has testified that the novel, “Nevakat”, characterises the bond between culturally memorical identity of the narrative which the new era of Bosniak and Bosnian-Croatian literature is known for.