Woman’s Identity Crisis in the Clash of Cultures: A Study of Betool Khedairi’s Novel: A Sky So close

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to clarify the impact of Postcolonialism, one of the most
challenging fields of study that has emerged in recent years, on representations of women in
once-colonised countries and in Western locations. It discusses the influence of cultural
differences on the status and identity of a woman who experience ‗multiculturalism‘. The
study is an analytical reading of a contemporary novel written by the Iraqi writer Betool Al-
Kudairi. The emphasis lies on the clash between two different cultures and traditions
represented by the British mother and the Iraqi father and its effect on the life and identity of
the protagonist. The main focus is on idea of ‗hybrid identity‘ and the absence of the sense of
belonging. A Sky so Close is a close look into the clash between East and West and into the
soul of a woman formed by two cultures yet fully accepted by neither.