Double Liminality and Double Marginality in Muslim Women’s Narrative: An Investigation of Uzma Aslam Khan’s the Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali

Abstract

Liminality and marginality are among the striking postcolonial issues. The concept of liminality, particularly in the postcolonial context, has been theorized by Homi K. Bhabha and he takes it as a third space where a character is neither connected to the old place nor the new one. The study investigates Uzma Aslam Khan’s The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali the dwelling of the titular protagonist female character who faces dual liminality and dual marginality. The novel, set in the picturesque Andaman Islands circa 1936-42, has been analyzed using postcolonialism as a general framework whereas the two striking issues such as liminality and marginality with double intensity have been explored. The objectives of the study are the evaluation and depiction of doubly colonized subjects located in said islands.  The findings highlight the hardships faced by the subcontinental prisoners, especially women who were brought to the far-off islands during the British colonial period. The control over the Andaman Islands has shifted from British to Japanese and then from Japanese to British. Thus, the residents of the islands and the prisoners have been facing the same hardships and troubles. Nomi Ali, the daughter of Haider Ali belongs to a non-prisoner family but has to face double liminality and double marginality. The study is significant because it highlights the female narrative voice from the part of history less spoken/written of.