Chapter 8

Exile, travel narrative and cultural transfer in Négar Djavadi’s Désorientale (2016)

This chapter aims to analyse how the intersection of travel and exile in Négar Djavadi’s novel Désorientale (2016) motivates cultural exchanges through movements of conflict and contact. After having established a framework of exile and travel in relation to narrative, cultural encounters and transfer, the analysis firstly focuses on the metaphorical and physical levels of travel and exile as developed in the novel. Exile and travel are intertwined and a necessary part of the female protagonist’s life and offer the possibility to create a travel narrative where she connects her Iranian past and French present. The second part examines the confrontation with her sexual identity and the understanding of her hybrid body as a place of encounter between different cultures. By acknowledging the disorientation of her exiled body, the protagonist/narrator is capable of establishing relationships with others and to share her experience. The final section further discusses the importance of meaningful encounters by elaborating on the connection between the narrator and the implied reader that allow for critical reflection and transfer of insights, emotions and ideas. The analysis demonstrates the role of the exiled narrator as cultural transmitter. This chapter further contributes to the study of travel writing and cultural transfer by offering new perspectives on how the genre develops in the twenty-first century as an effect of migration.