The Abject Other: Race, Identity and Transformation in Mohsin Hamid’s The Last White Man

Abstract

This study explores the mechanism of abjection in Mohsin Hamid's novel, The Last White Man (2022) using theorist Julia Kristeva’s theoretical framework formulated in her ground-breaking research, Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. It delves deep into Julia Kristeva’s concept of the abject other, examining not only fear and hate against racially altered characters but also toward the sick and the dead, thereby highlighting the Orient–Occident binary. This shift erases the lines between 'self' and 'others'. Different psychological stages have been scrutinized such as pre-acceptance and acceptance of change; however, the last stage of acceptance has an element of hope. This research is significant because it contributes to Kristeva’s theory and not only discusses the negative experiences of abjections but also deals with its positive effects highlighting how people are affected sociologically, psychologically, and politically. This study holds critical implications for future studies because in today’s world shifts in racial identity is not a fictional metaphor anymore, but an everyday experience especially for diasporas who navigate through hybrid identities on a daily basis. Employing a qualitative approach, it draws upon a textual interpretation of the primary text and other secondary sources. The findings of this study underscore that "The Last White Man" masterfully interweaves themes of race, belonging, and psychological horror of racial displacement, illuminated through Kristeva’s framework. The exploration reveals that negotiating the abject is not solely a social process but a personal one, destabilizing and reconstructing identity from within.