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Chapter 11 - Encountering the Community in Third Space

from Part II - Developments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2025

By
Megan Jeanette Myers
Edited by
Elizabeth Evans
Elizabeth Evans
Affiliation:
Wayne State University, Detroit
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Summary

This chapter begins with an overview of third space that explores the scholarly dialogue related to the representation of third space(s) in literature. In particular, the chapter introduces intellectuals such as Homi Bhabha and Edward Soja. Following a brief overview of third space, the analysis moves beyond solely viewing third space as a point of difference to also considering third space as a concept that builds and fosters community. This paradigm shift is bolstered by a literary analysis of Haitian American Edwidge Danticat’s collection of short stories Everything Inside (2020). This geographically centered collection of stories allows for a unique understanding of how characters appear (im)mobilized within shifting spaces, and how they exist alongside and within discursive and physical third space(s) that can both position them as the Other and connect them to a community of those also in contact with liminal spaces. An analysis of this text, with stories set in both the Haitian diaspora and on the island of Hispaniola, also considers the intersections between third space and literature as related to the field of border studies.

Keywords

Third SpaceHomi BhabhaEdward SojaHaitian American literatureEdwidge Danticatborder studies
Type
Chapter
Information
Space and Literary Studies , pp. 186 - 199
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

Works Cited

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