London’s Roles as the Third Space in Reforming Immigrants’ Identity in Monica Ali’s "Brick Lane"

Abstract

The intricacy of immigrant identity reformation in transnational cities such as London necessitated a thorough examination, primarily through the perspective of postcolonial theory. This research addressed the main foci: what role London played as a Third Space and how it shaped immigrant identity formation. This study aimed to analyze the role of London as a Third Space in the identity reformation of immigrant characters in Brick Lane by Monica Ali. The researcher employed Homi K. Bhabha’s theory of the Third Space in a postcolonial approach and used a descriptive qualitative method to conduct the research, in which the data were compiled in the form of quotations from the novel. As a result, this research revealed four leading roles of London, including a space of resistance and transformation, a platform for negotiating belonging, a site of economic and social mobility, and a catalyst for identity formation. Furthermore, the immigrant characters encountered cultural hybridity in different forms according to their personal experiences and choices. This research affirmed that immigrant identity was fluid and constantly negotiated within transnational spaces such as London.