SOCIO-CULTURAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF ALIENATION IN ABDULRAZAK GURNAH’S SELECTED NOVELS

Alienation remains one of the most significant concerns in postcolonial literature, particularly in narratives of migration, displacement, and identity. This study examines the socio-cultural and psychological dimensions of alienation in Abdulrazak Gurnah's Admiring Silence (1996), By the Sea (2001), and Gravel Heart (2017). Guided by Hegel's philosophy of recognition and Marx's theory of alienation, the paper investigates how racism, capitalism, and cultural displacement shape the experiences of migrants and displaced characters in the selected novels. The study adopts a qualitative research design based on textual content analysis, allowing for an in-depth interpretation of the novels within their social, cultural and economic contexts. The findings reveal that alienation in Gurnah's fiction extends beyond physical displacement to encompass psychological estrangement, cultural dislocation, social exclusion, and fractured identity. Racism denies characters social recognition and belonging, capitalist structures commoditize migrant labour and reinforce exploitation, while cultural displacement destabilizes identity through the demands of adaptation and assimilation. These interconnected forces generate significant emotional isolation and a persistent quest for belonging. The study further demonstrates that Gurnah presents alienation not as an individual condition but as a consequence of historical, colonial, and socio-economic structures that continue to shape migrant experiences. By integrating Hegelian and Marxist perspectives, the paper contributes to postcolonial literary scholarship by illustrating how recognition, identity, and belonging are negotiated within contexts of migration and global inequality. It concludes that Gurnah's selected novels offer a compelling critique of contemporary systems of exclusion while affirming the enduring human quest for dignity, recognition, and belonging.