Displacement and Acculturation in Ghada Karmi’s In Search of Fatima: The Case of Amina

Abstract

This article draws on John Berry’s acculturation theory to explore the acculturation process of the Karmi family into English culture as presented in the 2002 memoir In Search of Fatima: A Palestinian Story. According to Berry, acculturation involves a dual process of cultural and psychological change, which occurs when individuals from different cultural backgrounds come into continuous contact. Based on the relation of individuals to their culture of origin and that of the host country, Berry classifies acculturation into four styles: assimilation, integration, separation, and marginalization. This article argues that due to various social, economic, and political factore, the forcibly displaced Karmis faced substantial challenges in adapting to the culture of England. Although the story of each of the five family members deserves attention, we primarily focus on the acculturation of the memoirist’s mother, Amina, because in many ways it is the most tragic, and because as the mother figure, her beliefs, actions, and degree of adaptation to the new culture greatly impact those of other family members.