ANTIGONE FOR THE AGE OF TERROR: TRANSTEXTUALITY IN KAMILA SHAMSIE’S HOMEFIRE

Abstract

Purpose: The current qualitative study attempts to explore intertextuality in Kamila Shamsie’s novel Homefire, published in 2017. This paper attempts to analyze the role it plays in the creation and understanding of meaning by employing Gerard Genette’s theory of Intertextuality (Genette’s Transtextuality). Methodology: For this purpose, the study is conducted from the postmodern theoretical perspective of Intertextuality. Homefire is a modern retelling of Sophocles’ Antigone. The novel captures the enigma of British Muslims struggling to defend their loyalty to the crown while maintaining their unique cultural and religious identities, in the wake of rising islamophobia in Britain. Main Findings: The study finds that the interwoven intertextuality not only provides a basic framework for the plot and characters, but also juxtaposes the ancient world with the contemporary world along with the invariable conflicts, complexities, and similarities. Implications: This study shows that the face of human conflict might get changed but the integral emotions and conflicts remain the same. This implies that using intertextual references enhances the text with poignant meanings through ages. Novelty/Originality: Homefire as a recent text talking about islamophobia in Britain being a retelling of a classical Sophocles play is something that.