In my dissertation, I examine otherness and narrative identity in relation to societal issues. I approach the complexity of narrative through contemporary novels, where the characters’ sense of the possible is influenced by their place in the society. I also explore the expectation on minorities to achieve their own redemption story in an inequal society. The novels chosen for my research are Women Talking by M. Toews, The Book of Goose by Y. Li, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by O. Vuong an An American Marriage by T. Jones.

Joining together narrative hermeneutics and other fields, I will form a broad theoretical background. My goal is to find out whether individuals can create alternative redemption stories, if the traditional master narrative is not accessible, and to find out how through personal and cultural narratives, we can define and achieve a good life. Narratives are present both in individual and societal actions and speech. Examining fiction in relation to societal systems can offer new perspectives to discussions about humanity.