STATE VIOLENCE ENCOUNTERS SARAT’S RESILIENCE IN OMAR EL AKKAD’S AMERICAN WAR

Abstract

The multiple forms of intersecting violence shape the identity of Sarat Chestnut and intensify marginalization in the novel American War. Sarat has been marginalized four times, i.e., first because of her non-girlish ‘tomboyish’ look; second, due to her dark skin color; third, because she is poor as a refugee; and fourth, due to a lack of educational resources and being the victim of Albert Gaines. Moreover, the environmental crisis destroys livelihoods as coastal areas are flooded and the U.S. government bans fossil fuels, which Southern states resist. The novel's story centers on Sarat’s survival, transformation, and resistance. When examined through the lens of Kimberlé Crenshaw’s Intersectionality, American War reveals the intricate ways in which gendered, racial, and geopolitical power structures intersect to subjugate Sarat in a conflict-ridden world. Sarat’s overall well-being, mental health, economic status, and education are all negatively impacted by the tyranny of power structures (Patriarchy, Racism, Educational Institutions, and Politics). Some instances show that Sarat is homosexual, and at some points, she has an ambiguous sexual orientation. Her conflicted self interacts with broader sociopolitical forces that shape her agency. Sarat plays different roles in the novel, i.e., as a refugee, a fighter, an assassin, a prisoner, and a martyr. Through this multiplicity of identity, she challenges traditional ideological roles in a society driven by political violence and sexual oppression. American War critiques the constraints on women’s autonomy and examines the possibilities of subversion and transformation in a dystopian world.