Voicing The Unvoiced: An Interplay of Magical Realism and The Other in Hamid’s The Last White Man

Abstract

Magical realism integrates fantastical elements with realistic settings, which enables the writers to voice the unvoiced marginalized communities and challenge the prevalent narratives. The current study aims to investigate Hamid's The Last White Man (2022) from Faris's (2004) perspective of magical realism. The study further aims to explore the role of magical realism in presenting the “Other” in the novel. Fanon’s (2008) views about the “Other” are considered to investigate the role of magical realism in presenting the “Other.” The study is qualitative, applying a purposive sampling technique for data collection. Greenham’s (2018) close reading technique is used for data analysis. The findings of the study illustrate that Hamid’s The Last White Man depicts all five elements i.e., irreducible elements, strong description of phenomenal, unsettling doubts, merging of realms and disruption of space and identity in the novel. Hamid uses these elements as a useful tool to represent the “Other” and the psychological and social implications associated with the “Other”. Other characters (friends, relatives, neighbors, and colleagues) in the novel became enemies with the transformation of color from white to brown. Peace and brotherhood lead to discrimination, injustice, suicide, violence, armed conflict, and war. The study concludes that mere skin color might not be considered the sole criterion for racial supremacy and that all humans are equal irrespective of their color.