Breaking Through Barriers and Searching for Identity: On the Growth of Dottie in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Bildungsroman Dottie
Dottie is the third full-length novel written by the 2021 Nobel Prize-winning African-British writer Abdulrazak Gurnah. It is a story of a black girl born in Britain named Dottie, who struggles to make a living in London and grows up with self-improvement. The family trauma that Dottie faced and the marginalization of her identity under multiple discrimination greatly stunt her growth. But with the stimulation of negative-type guider Patterson, the enlightenment of mentor-type guiders Mrs. Holly and Dr. Murray, and the companionship of partner-type guider Ms. Estella, Dottie gradually awakens. By reading the classics, learning about family history, and developing vocational skills, Dottie breaks through the barriers of race, gender, and class to gain a foothold in Britain by herself. And with the reclaiming of the meaning of her name, Dottie ushers in an epiphany of her growth and enters a new phase of exploring life. Through the portrayal of Dottie’s personal growth, Gurnah provides the long-missing experience of growing up black, giving readers a path to bridge the racial divide and reconstruct the identity.
Keywords: Bildungsroman; Growth; Abdulrazak Gurnah; Dottie
